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The food challenge RESIDENTS receive cooked food from the military during an enhanced community quarantine to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus in Manila on April 20, 2020. AP/AARON FAVILA

DA eyes how to shift around the South’s surplus pork supply to supply Covid-challenged Metro Manila, Luzon

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By Manuel T. Cayon

AVAO CITY—With food supply disruptions hounding Luzon island, including Metro Manila, where the Covid-19 pandemic has forced lockdowns of varying degrees since midMarch, authorities and local producers are hard at work looking for ways to plug shortages, especially of fresh meat.

Plugging such gaps is crucial, as officials want to avoid the difficult situation caused by Covid-19 in the United States, for example, where high infection rates among workers in some of that country’s biggest meat processors forced plant shutdowns and disrupted the supply chain.

In the local setting, the solutions to supply problems may lie in shifting some of the destinations for fresh meat.

The Cotabato region, for one, has more than enough pigs to sup-

ply the needs of Metro Manila and Luzon, but raisers said they need to ask the Department of Agriculture (DA) to remove restrictions to proceed with the transport.

The DA said on Wednesday it was looking to transporting surplus pork from the Visayas and Mindanao to Luzon to help hog raisers cope with the supply disruptions, and at the same time stabilize prices in Metro Manila.

Ramil Lim, president of the South Cotabato Swine Producers Association (Socospa), said swine,

or pig, raisers have an inventory of not less than 45,000. With quarantine measures along highways and villages to implement restrictions on Covid-19, he said farmers were “heavily constrained in logistics leading to a mounting inventory, or increase in the number of pigs.

“Farmers are losing heavily due to drastic reduction in sales while production costs continue to skyrocket,” he said.

Socospa produces more than 50,000 heads of 100-kilo hogs every month, but only 10 percent of

them could be sold for local markets in the region (Region 12 or Soccsksargen area). The region is composed of South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City.

“The rest of our production, about 60 percent, are shipped to the Visayas, particularly in Cebu and Leyte,” Lim said.

In an earlier statement, Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar said they are eyeing an initial ready volume of 1,700 metric tons (MT) Continued on A2

Taiwan emerging from pandemic with a stronger hand against China

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By Iain Marlow | Bloomberg News

EW governments around the world are likely to emerge from the pandemic with a stronger standing than before. Taiwan is one of them—and that’s not good for China.

Taiwan was forced to contain the outbreak without official help from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other international bodies, thanks to China’s longstanding push to isolate the democratically ruled island that it claims as its territory.

For weeks, leaders in Taipei struggled to evacuate residents from the virus epicenter in Wuhan, as Beijing rejected basic conditions such as having Taiwanese medical personnel aboard the aircraft.

Around the same time, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) flew bombers and fighter jets

around the island, prompting President Tsai Ing-Wen to scramble warplanes.

‘Leader’

DESPITE those hurdles, Taiwan has led the world in its fight against the virus, with only about 400 infections and six deaths for a population of 23 million. By comparison, New York state— with slightly fewer people—had almost 300,000 cases and more than 22,000 deaths.

Taiwan’s success against Covid-19 has shown that democracies could fight the virus without resorting to authoritarian mea-

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 50.5890

CARDBOARD cutouts of fans prior to the CPBL season opening game at Taoyuan International Baseball Stadium on April 11, 2020. BLOOMBERG

sures, serving as a key rebuttal against Chinese propaganda showcasing the strength of its system against the West.

Taipei’s openness also contrasted sharply with the lack of transparency about the initial outbreak and subsequent diplomatic pressure from Beijing, generating goodwill that could pay dividends in the future.

“I can’t think of another issue with such global resonance that has broken so favorably for Taiwan, and so negatively for the PRC, since perhaps the Tiananmen Square massacre,” said Kharis Templeman, an adviser to the Project on Taiwan in the IndoPacific at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution.

While the overall geopolitical dynamics were unlikely to change much given China’s growing economic clout, Taiwan’s “international stature has done well out of this crisis,” Templeman said.

“Taiwan has been dealing with Chinese opacity and propaganda Continued on A2

n JAPAN 0.4744 n UK 63.1047 n HK 6.5274 n CHINA 7.1489 n SINGAPORE 35.8381 n AUSTRALIA 33.1661 n EU 55.0155 n SAUDI ARABIA 13.4610

Source: BSP (April 30, 2020)

NewsSaturday BusinessMirror

A2 Saturday, May 2, 2020

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The food challenge Continued from A1

of pork from Davao and General Santos City to be transported to the Visayas and Luzon.

“This is a welcome development as relayed by DA Undersecretary Evelyn Laviña, who we tasked to coordinate with hog raisers and logistics providers in Mindanao to bring surplus pork to where it is most needed in Metro Manila and other areas in Luzon and the Visayas,” Dar said on Wednesday.

Citing Laviña, the DA said Davao-based hog raisers have committed to ship 500 MT of surplus pork monthly, while those in General Santos City and Cagayan de Oro would transport 3,000 MT every month.

Despite this, Dar pointed out that they have yet to overcome certain challenges to transport “frozen pork” from Mindanao to the Visayas and Luzon due to the quarantine situation and African Swine Fever concerns.

“While strongly advocating for the unhampered movement of pork due to the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon, the DA assures the public that pork from Mindanao is free from the African Swine Fever and of good quality,” Dar said.

“We continue to strictly enforce the biosecurity and quarantine measures to effectively manage, contain and control ASF, and prevent it from spreading to the Visayas and Mindanao that are

free from the dreaded swine disease,” he added.

The DA projects a 31-day pork deficit this year due to the adverse impact of ASF in the hog sector in Luzon, which accounts for bulk of the country’s pig production.

“Right now our pork sufficiency is 93 percent, as we forecast a deficit by the end of the year, at 31 days. In lieu of pork, we enjoin consumers to shift to other protein sources like chicken, as we have an abundant supply of up to 233 days or till August 2021,” Dar said.

“To help our poultry raisers, we encourage local government units in Luzon to consider buying chicken and eggs from them and include these in food subsidy packs for distribution to their constituents,” Dar added.

Live hogs

SOCOSPA is the largest producer of live hogs in Mindanao with four major farms having at least 15,000 sow levels combined. The biggest is Biotech Farms, owned by the KCC Mall chain, which reportedly has a sow population of 6,000 heads.

Each sow is capable of selling 1.2 pigs every month and a single hog reaches the market size of 100-kilo weight in five months.

The association farmers were willing to load live hogs into cargo ships bound for Metro Manila anytime, he said, with overstocking in the farms. “We are aware that

Metro Manila market goers prefer newly slaughtered pork meat. We can supply that need. In fact, there exist 300 metric tons of frozen pork carcass shipped by Socospa farmers to various storage facilities in Luzon right now, ready for any buyer,” Lim said.

He said General Santos City still has more than 2,000 pieces or at least 160 metric tons of pork carcass stored in various storage facilities in the city. Lim said they slaughtered their maturing stocks to cut costs that kept growing. “But with cold storages in the city now fully booked, we are at a loss on where to dispose of our livestock produce,” he rued.

Hurdle

THE only catch to this posture is the DA restriction against exporting pigs outside Mindanao after Davao Occidental and two barangays in Davao City were infected with the African Swine Fever in late January. The DA has remained puzzled as to how the infection entered the Davao Region, and not one pig raiser has been paid yet of the culled pigs in Davao Occidental.

Outside of the Davao Region, the Socospa was unable to transport their livestock since then despite repeated appeals to the DA.

Lim has also asked authorities to allow them at least two convoys or helpers for live shipments. “A live cargo ship takes at least three

CHICKEN stalls at Trabajo Market in Sampaloc, Manila, are covered in clear plastic sheets to protect vendors and shoppers from the coronavirus disease. ROY DOMINGO

days to reach Manila. Our convoys are necessary to feed and keep our livestock washed, watered and healthy,” Lim explained on the convoy of workers. He added pigs are known to be very sensitive to heat stress and can die if not given proper care during shipment.

He disclosed that Socospa farmers were able to transport six truckloads of live hogs to Leyte, but only after chartering a ferry costing P150,000 for each truck, more than double the usual cost of delivery.

“We appeal to the national government to advise LGUs [local government units] that our livestock product be allowed unhampered travel. We need to keep a steady supply of food so prices will also be steady especially in this time of crisis,” he said.

In the Caraga Region in northeastern Mindanao, the DA reported that hog products remain sufficient, although poultry products

were still a challenge for the second quarter this year.

Citing Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data, the DA said hog production in the region was sufficient at production forecast of 39,220 metric tons, or equivalent to 236,977 heads.

Hog consumption in the region was at 72 MT per day or a total of 6,480 MT for the quarter. Agusan del Sur contributed the highest production in the region, with 59,757 heads or 11,779 MT. The hog production sector forecasts a surplus for the quarter, which makes the region’s supply sufficient for up to 18 months, the DA added.

Livestock Focal Person Jekem Sanchez said the DA allocated P1.4 million for feed support to the 149 identified recipients for three months’ consumption and fattening.

Meanwhile, chicken production needed to increase production, how-

ever, with a production forecast of 4,034 MT or equivalent to 2,490,184 heads for the quarter, but compared to consumption of 5,940 MT. This creates a deficit of 1,906 MT for chicken meat products.

“Chicken production in the region remains a challenge. This time we still get chicken from Regions 10 and 11 to supply our deficit,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez said the DA allocated P4 million to procure 7,450 heads of chicken to be distributed to farmers’ associations and individuals to enhance their livelihood and multiply chicken production, which the recipient-associations can eventually distribute to their members.

Agusan del Norte produces the bulk of chicken meat in the Caraga Region, with a share of 977,986 heads or 9,770 MT in the first quarter.

With an earlier report

by Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

Taiwan emerging from pandemic with a stronger hand against China Continued from A1

campaigns for decades. So there’s definitely some rise in sympathy for Taiwan.”

US-China tensions

A CALL this week between Taiwan’s health minister and the Trump administration’s top health official served to reinforce the island’s importance to the global community, while also signaling that it could become a point of tension between the US and China.

Support for Taipei has surged in Washington after President Donald Trump held an unprecedented 2016 phone call with Tsai, launched a bruising trade war against Xi Jinping’s government and sold Taiwan long-coveted F-16 fighter jets.

China’s foreign ministry objected to the latest phone call, demanding that the US “immediately correct its mistake, stop manipulating the Taiwan issue by taking advantage of the pandemic, and stop official contacts with Taiwan.”

The ministry urged “the US side to adhere to one-China principle,” referring to Washington’s long-held position that the PRC is China’s sole legal government.

Last year, Xi reaffirmed Beijing’s desire to govern Taiwan under the same “one country, two systems” framework as the former British colony of Hong Kong.

That position is deeply unpopular in Taiwan, which re-elected Tsai in a landslide in January.

Tsai’s Democratic Progressive Party views Taiwan as a sovereign, independent nation.

Closest moment

FOR the moment, Taiwan is basking in the glow of international

praise. It’s won plaudits for not only stemming infections, but also pledges to ship millions of surgical masks to Europe, the US and its few remaining diplomatic allies around the world that China hasn’t picked off.

Taipei has also held virtual seminars with countries such as India and the Philippines, according to Wang Ting-yu, a lawmaker in Tsai’s party and member of Taiwan’s foreign affairs and national defense committee.

“This year will be the closest moment for Taiwan to participate in international organizations,” Wang said. “Not only have we shown our capability to stop the virus from spreading, we’re also using democracy to stop it from spreading—we’re communicating with our people and the government and the people are on the same side fighting the virus.

This message can provide a reference for the world.”

‘Historic high’

TAIWAN’S successful virus approach—led by a National Health Command Center set up following the severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, outbreak in 2003—combined proactive testing, big data and new technologies.

That included early screening of flights, the rapid identification and containment of potential cases, integrating its national health insurance and immigration databases, and ensuring quarantine compliance via mobile-phone tracking. The government quickly took more than 120 separate public health measures.

In some ways, Taiwan’s adversity also helped underwrite its response. Taipei has little room for error because it can’t seek help from multilateral agencies and Bei-

jing would pounce on any missteps, said Rupert Hammond-Chambers, a managing director at the consultancy Bower Group Asia.

“Today, Taiwan’s standing is at a historic high,” said HammondChambers, who is also president of the US-Taiwan Business Council. Still, he added, over the longer term “the stark reality of the PRC’s financial muscle and heavy-handed political strategies will mitigate much of the positive equity Taiwan has built amongst nations.”

‘Silliness’

THE pandemic served as an ideal springboard for Taiwan’s longstanding campaign for diplomatic inclusion. A high-profile exchange between a journalist and WHO official Bruce Aylward, who repeatedly tried to avoid mentioning Taiwan, “did a great job of highlighting the silliness of excluding what is effectively a nation of 23 million people from important international bodies,” said Graeme Smith, a fellow at the Australian National University who researches China’s influence across Asia.

China’s veto power in many international bodies is likely to continue to keep Taiwan on the outside looking in, said Shelley Rigger, a political science professor at Davidson College and author of Why Taiwan Matters: Small Island, Global Powerhouse. Still, she said, the favorable attention Taiwan was earning would still have an impact.

“It does matter, because if things get ugly, Taiwan will benefit from a positive image and high profile,” Rigger said. “And if opportunities to loosen Beijing’s stranglehold on its international space do appear, Taiwan needs for people around the world to respond quickly to take advantage of them.”

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PHL allows partial reopening of Pogos, but lists STRInGEnt worksite, mobility conditions

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HE government has allowed the partial resumption of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogos) in an attempt to raise some revenues while several parts of the country remain under lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Andrea Domingo confirmed that only 30 percent of the total workforce of Pogos will be allowed to partially open, adding that this decision was already approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases. “ I wa s i n f o r m e d o f t h e d e c i s i o n yesterday,” Domingo said in a message to the B usiness M irror.

The Pagcor chairman said the decision to partially reopen Pogos will be “applicable in all areas where they operate” even in areas under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), but Pogos must fulfill certain conditions before they are allowed to resume.

“They have been here even before the Covid-19. They will [undergo] testing. Only those who are tested negative will be allowed to work and they will not be allowed to take public transpo,” Domingo added.

In a separate radio interview on Friday morning, Domingo said Pogos that will be allowed to partially reopen should still follow precautionary measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

“That is why only 30 percent of the manpower will be allowed to report to work, because we follow strict social distancing, using face masks, disinfection of their work areas every shift; and then also, they are not allowed to take public transportation or go to any other public place.

Pogo workers must also live near their offices, she said. If not, they should be transported through private buses to and from their offices. The buses must also be disinfected every shift,” she said.

“The Pogo is like a BPO [business-process outsourcing]. Their clients are gamers in other countries. There is no face-to-face,” she added, in a mix of English and Filipino.

Asked when Pogos will partially reopen, Domingo said Pogos need about a week to ramp up.

Pogos who are not tax-compliant will also be prohibited from resuming their operations, she said.

“Those that did not pay BIR [Bureau of Internal Revenue] taxes and have no

certification of registration, and are not yet fully paid as of March 2020, will not be allowed to reopen; they have to pay all their taxes first,” she explained.

“Only those with valid working permit and visas will be permitted to report back to work,” she said.

Aside from this, Pogos that will be allowed to reopen should also meet the condition to pay in full the salaries of 31,500 Filipinos working in Pogos for April, whether or not they reported for work.

Another condition is that Pogos should pay the minimum guarantee for April even if they did not operate or they do not have revenues.

Of the 60 legal operators, Pagcor is expecting to get a minimum guarantee of P300 million to P350 million a month for April. But she said this could go as high as P500 million to P550 million a month should full operations resume.

Pagcor earlier said they are suffering monthly revenue losses of P5 billion to P6 billion from the suspension of Pogos, casinos and other gaming operations.

A group of online gaming ser vice providers lauded the government’s decision and vowed to comply with strict guidelines issued by Malacañang, IATF and Pagcor as preconditions for allowing them to resume partial operations.

As compliant ser vice providers, the Accredited Ser vice Providers Association of Pagcor (ASPAP) said its members will follow the stric t conditions imposed by Pa g co r a n d I AT F. Th e s e i n c l u d e d e e p cleaning and disinfec tion of facilities, testing of Filipino and foreign workers for Covid-19 prior to deployment, payment of workers’ salaries and taxes to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), remittance of the P350-million minimum guaranteed fee to Pagcor, proper social distancing and other measures.

A S PA P a l s o s a i d i t s m e m b e r s we l co m e d t h e i r c l a s s i f i cat i o n a s B P O companies. After all, the group said its members are t ypical BPOs that provide Pogo with BPO ser vices like call center operations, telemarketing, systems and hardware suppor t, as well as “live dealer” video streaming and other online games.

“To stress a point—Pogos are offshore gaming operators, while Pogo ser vice providers are typical Philippine-based BPO companies that are purely paid service fees,” ASPAP said. Bernadette D. Nicolas

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) started testing overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who just arrived in the country for coronavirus disease (Covid-19) at its newly inaugurated molecular laboratory inside PRC’s Logistics Center in Mandaluyong City. Around 120 seafarers who returned on April 29 arrived on Thursday night at the testing center to undergo swabbing. PRC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Sen. Richard J. Gordon said that the PRC is planning to put up 20 more testing centers throughout the country so that more Filipinos will get tested for the virus.

Red Cross kicks off virus testing for 20,000 OFWs

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he Philippine Red Cross started testing overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who just arrived in the country for coronavirus disease (Covid-19) at its newly inaugurated molecular laboratory inside PRC’s Logistics Center in Mandaluyong City. Around 120 seafarers who returned on April 29 arrived on Thursday night at the testing center to undergo swabbing. PRC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Sen. Richard J. Gordon said that the PRC is planning to put up 20 more testing centers throughout the countr y so that more Filipinos will get tested for the virus.

“Our aim is to really get our people tested so that we can immediately isolate those who are affec ted and prevent the non- carriers from acquiring the virus. We want to make sure that our OFWs are safe before they go home to their families.

Last week, we inaugurated our molecular laborator y and we are planning to put up 20 more throughout the countr y so that we could test more,” Gordon said in a news statement issued on Friday.

The PRC and PCG will also star t testing re t u rn i n g O F Ws at t h e N i n oy Aq u i n o International Airpor t (Naia) Terminals 1 and 2, and at Eva Macapagal Terminal.

On April 30, Gordon met with Bases

Conversion and D evelopment Authorit y (BCDA) President Vince Dizon and the PCG Task Force Laban Coronavirus medical te a m h e a d e d b y Ca p t a i n E r i c Ste ve n Guieb to discuss the measures and proper protocol to be followed during the rapid testing at the airpor ts.

The swabbing will be conduc ted by nurses and medical technologists of the Armed Forces under the super vision of PRC staff to ensure that the procedures are followed correc tly.

“Red Cross saved our fight against Covid because of the testing capacit y.

Umaabot ng isang libo mahigit ang dumarating na OFWs ever yday. We want to test them and we want to work with Ch a i r m a n G o rd o n p a ra m a b i l i s i yo n g resulta kase kapag na -test natin sila at nalaman natin na negative, puwede na natin silang ipa -home quarantine,” Dizon said.

Guieb, on the other hand, thanked the PRC for helping them ensure the safet y of the OFWs and their families.

“It’s amazing that Senator Gordon was able to think of this. Malaking tulong ang PRC especially sa OFWs to ensure that when they go home to their families, they are clean of the Covid,” he said.

Saturday, May 2, 2020

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NG’s outstanding debt up 4.8% to ₧8.177 trillion in Q1–BTr

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By Bernadette D. Nicolas

he national government’s (NG) total outstanding debt surged to P8.177 trillion as of end of the first quarter this year, up by 4.8 percent from P7.802 trillion in the same period in 2019.

Latest data from the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) also showed the national government’s debt stock as of end-March is also slightly up by 0.1 percent, from P8.166 trillion as of end-February this year.

Year-to-date, the outstanding debt of the government has increased by 5.8 percent or P446.125 billion from the end-2019 level of P7.731 trillion.

“Of the total debt stock, 33 percent were sourced externally, while 67 percent are domestic debt,” BTr said in a news statement issued late Thursday.

Broken down, domestic debt

reached P5.513 trillion as of endMarch, growing by 6.1 percent from P5.197 trillion a year ago.

It is also slightly up by 1.2 percent compared to the end-February 2020 level of P5.45 trillion.

“The increase in domestic debt was due to the net issuances of government securities amounting to P63.07 billion,” it said.

“To date, domestic debt has increased by P385.27 billion, or 7.5 percent, since the beginning of the year.”

Government securities took the bulk in domestic borrowings as of end-March at P5.512

trillion, posting a 6.1-percent growth year-on-year from P5.196 trillion in 2019 and a 1.2-percent month-on-month increase compared to P5.4 49 t r i l l ion as of end-Febr u a r y.

Loans for the three-month period were maintained at P948 million.

On the other hand, government offshore debt as of end of the first quarter expanded by 2.3 percent year-on-year to P2.665 trillion, up from P2.605 trillion in 2019.

However, the end-March external debt figure slid by 1.89 percent from end-February 2020 level of P2.716 trillion.

“For March, the decline in external debt was due to the P44.18 billion net repayment of foreign loans and the P7.02 billion collective effect of exchange rate adjustments on both dollar- and t h i rd- c u r renc y denom i n ated debt,” it added.

“From t he end-December 2019 level, NG external debt has increased by P60.86 billion or 2.3 percent.”

Of the P2.665-trillion foreign

debt as of end of first quarter, P1.605 trillion went to external debt securities while P1.059 trillion was taken up by loans.

Debt from external government securities as of end-March include US Dollar Bonds at P1.222 trillion, followed by Peso Global Bonds (P129.679 billion), Japanese Yen Bonds (P116.332 billion), Euro Bonds (P109.240 billion) and Chinese Yuan Bonds (P28.398 billion).

Meanwhile, the government’s total guaranteed debt inched up by 0.4 percent to P481.821 billion compared to P479.667 billion in 2019.

Compared to the end-February 2020 level at P484.355 billion, total guaranteed obligations of the national government dipped by 0.5 percent or P2.53 billion.

“The lower level of guarantees was due to the net redemption of local and foreign guarantees amounting to P1.92 billion. This was further trimmed by local and third-currency exchange rate fluctuations that diminished the value of external guarantees by P0.61 billion,” it said.

PhilGuarantee opens ₧120-B loan facility for MSMEs

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he Philippine Guarantee Corp. (PhilGuarantee) has finally opened its credit guarantee facility to support micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) facing financial difficulties due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Under the MSME credit program approved by PhilGuarantee, some P120 billion in capital loans to MSMEs would be covered by 50 percent guarantee.

Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III, chairman of the PhilGuarantee Governing Board, said the credit guarantee program “will provide small businesses easier access to bank financing, which tends to contract during crisis periods,” adding that the guarantees extended by the government will help improve the cash position of small businesses to enable them to pay for fixed costs such as wages, rental, amortizations and interest payments.

“Thus, we need to assist small businesses by extending guarantees for their loans. For now, the goal is to cover some P120 billion in loans with a 50 percent guarantee. This would cost government around P60 billion,” Dominguez said in a news statement issued on Friday.

MSMEs comprise more than 90 percent of businesses in the Philippines, and it are the targeted beneficiaries of the facility.

Eligible borrowers are MSMEs affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, while eligible lenders are those universal, commercial, thrift and rural banks, as well as other financial institutions supervised by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

The BSP previously announced through its Circular 1083, s. 2020 that MSME loans granted after March 15, 2020, are considered as alternative compliance to BSP reserve requirements.

A maximum amount of P50million loan per borrower was set under the MSME Credit Guarantee Program. Loans of over P50 million may also be accepted on a case-to-case basis.

To apply for the credit guarantee program, MSMEs should file an application and submit loan processing requirements to the accredited lending bank and financial institution.

PhilGuarantee will advise approval of the guarantee coverage to the accredited bank or financial institution.

PhilGuarantee President and Chief Executive Officer Alberto E. Pascual said the guarantee program “will complement access to lending as it encourages more banks to provide assistance loans to MSMEs.” Pascual also explained that the program is a quick action relief measure aimed at jumpstarting the business with much-needed working capital to be obtained from the banks, adding that the agency has also waived its customary origination fees in consideration of the crisis. Guarantee fee is 1 percent per annum of guaranteed amount.

“We would like to contribute to this economic recovery by participating in this re-building effort of the MSMEs,” Pascual said.

“We do not know how long the crisis will linger but at this early juncture, we are already setting up assistance measures to push the banks to lend and in the process, alleviate their [MSMEs] plight,” he added.

Economic managers have laid out a P1.4-trillion socioeconomic strategy anchored on four pillars: emergency support for vulnerable groups; resources to fight Covid-19; fiscal and monetary actions; and an economic recovery plan. The P120billion credit guarantee mechanism is part of the emergency support for vulnerable groups, representing 0.6 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

Since the beginning of the enhanced community quarantine on March 16, PhilGuarantee had been issuing advisories to its clients, partners and the public, implementing various assistance measures to the housing and agriculture-based sectors such as waiver of penalties, moratorium on amortization payments, extension of guarantee lines, and no additional interest and penalties for restructured loans.

On April 15, the agency’s Governing Board also approved the reduction of guarantee fee from 1 percent to 0.5 percent and increased the guarantee coverage from 85 percent to 90 percent for partner lending institutions of the Agriculture Guarantee Fund Pool (AGFP), which will run until July 15, 2020.

PhilGuarantee is the principal agency for State Guarantee Finance of the Philippines. The institution is the result of the merger of Philippine guarantee programs and agencies—Home Guaranty Corp., AGFP,

Industrial Guarantee and Loan Fund and the guarantee operations of the Small Business Corporation—into the Philippine Export-Import Credit

Agency, being as the surviving entity, pursuant to Executive Order 58 signed by President Duterte.

Bernadette D. Nicolas

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‘Honk if you love seafarers’: Labor Day call reminds people of stranded cruise ship workers

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By Recto L. Mercene

HE Philippine government has so far repatriated more than 20,000 overseas Filipino workers, mostly seafarers employed by cruise lines, since the Covid-19 pandemic began, but thousands of other Filipinos are among the crew members who remain on board dozens of cruise ships stranded by the lockdowns.

Authorities have said not all of the seafarers are seeking repatriation, but the policy as laid down by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is that all those who wish to

return home—either because they lost jobs with the pandemic or contracts ended—will be repatriated by all means.

The cruise lines sector is among

the hardest hit by the pandemic, after countries imposed lockdowns as self-defense for their populations, and cruise ships were denied berthing rights in ports.

In consultation with the private sector and the help of the OFWs’ manning agencies, the DFA and relevant agencies resorted to every means available to bring home the stranded seafarers—on chartered flights, or a combination of short flights within still-open destinations; or their employer-cruise lines were asked to use the ships to bring them to Philippine waters.

T his is why, starting Apr il 22, a tota l of 10 ships have dropped anchor at Mani la Bay, ser v ing a s t he qu a ra nt ine fac i l it y for the OF Ws. The seafarers who were brought home on f lights were escorted from the Naia by the Coast Guard and the Overseas Workers Welfare

Administration direct to facilities for testing—notably, the Philippine Red Cross laboratory on Edsa—and on to quarantine sites.

On Labor Day, Maritime News for Filipino Seafarers, sounded a solidarity call: “Seafarers around the world are being asked to sound their ships’ horns when in port at noon Friday [May 1].”

Its headline: “Honk if you love seafarers,” as a show of solidarity as well as “recognition of Covid-19 as occupational disease.”

The online news site added a story from The Guardian, saying there are still 100,000 seafarers stranded in some 50 cruise ships in some distant ports.

Of this, at least 50 have Covid-19 infections, a Guardian investigation has found. “They are shut out of ports and banned from air travel that would allow them to return to their homes.”

So far, it was reported that at least 17 cruise ship workers are confirmed to have died from suspected Covid-19, and dozens more have had to be evacuated from ships and taken to hospital.

The Guardian said many of these crew are quarantined in tiny cabins, and some have had their pay cut off. “They have in effect become a nation of floating castaways, marooned on boats from the Galapagos Islands to Dubai port.”

Recruitment consultant Manny Geslani said about a quarter of the 100,000 seamen at sea are Filipino seafarers whose ships are unable to dock in the United States East and West Coast and parts of Europe.

The crew that remained aboard their cruise ships include about 25,000 Filipinos, 15,000 Indonesians, 15,000 Indians and 7,000 Europeans. The rest are Africans. “ T hey are unable to dock to

Govt moves to stem virus spread in PHL prison and penal facilities

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

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o ensure that infection control measures are in place to prevent further spread of Covid-19 in penal and correctional facilities, the Department of Health (DOH), together with the Department of Justice, World Health Organization (WHO), and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) conducted an initial assessment, investigation, and management of cases at the Correctional Institution for Women-Bureau of Corrections and New Bilibid Prisons (NBP).

The DOH said that the move is the start of the ongoing coordination with the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) to conduct targeted testing, provide treatment and management of cases, and ensure that infection control measures are in place to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in penal and correctional facilities.

“ICRC has installed a 110-bed capacity quarantine facility in the medium-security New Bilibid Prison. Multi-disciplinary technical support has likewise been supplied to the Correctional Institute for Women as an emergency response to its confirmed cases detected recently,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque said assuring that the DOH is also closely working with the ICRC in building isolation facilities for probable and suspected cases inside the NBP. Earlier, the BJMP said that 233 prisoners and jail guards were tested positive for Covid-19 at three city jails in the country. In BuCor, 19 people inside the jail facility were infected.

Meanwhile, the ICRC also assisted the BJMP

and BuCor in setting up temporary isolation centers for Covid-19 positive detainees with mild to moderate symptoms.

A 48-bed quarantine facility at the Quezon City Jail in Payatas is now fully operational with 40 admitted detainees.

It is being expanded to 200 beds and will open shortly in collaboration with BJMP. Meanwhile, work is ongoing at the New San Fernando District Jail with a 40-bed quarantine facility and the Quezon District Jail in Pagbilao, Lucena City with an 80-bed quarantine facility.

The said isolation centers were set-up with separate areas for patients and sleeping quarters for staff, electricity, water, cots, and basic furnishings.

The staff were also furnished with medical equipment, personal protective equipment (PPEs) for health-care workers, and tablet devices to facilitate contact between patients and their relatives.

Training on infection prevention and control and management of the dead, based on DOH and WHO guidelines, were also provided. DOH is currently working with ICRC to assist BJMP and BuCor to develop guidelines on the control, management and prevention of Covid-19 in places of detention.

Aside from penal institutions, the DOH and WHO, along with the Department of Social Welfare and Development will focus on other closed-setting facilities such as orphanages and homes for the aged to ensure safety.

“Multi-sectoral efforts are ramped up to support all vulnerable areas to stem this pandemic.

In all closed-setting facilities, a single case of anasymptomatic positive Covid-19 case can be a disaster,” Duque concluded.

Davao mayor ‘swap’ stranded residents with nearby LGUs

By Manuel T. Cayon

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He added all intended beneficiaries shall be notified in writing by the barangay officials indicating in the notice the place, date and time of the distribution of the social amelioration funds, including the amount to be received, with priority given to the vulnerable sectors. For those beneficiaries who are too weak or sick or disabled to travel, the funds should be personally delivered to them by the DSWD and LGU representatives as well, he said.

After each day of distribution of the social funds, the assigned DSWD and LGU officials shall submit their daily report to their respective head offices.

This way, Macalintal said, the DSWD and LGUs distributing the social funds will not be swamped by the heavy influx of beneficiaries if the distribution is just confined in one area per day. With various clustered barangays functioning at the same time, the giving out of said funds would be more systematic and orderly and could avoid the chaos and confusion which delayed the full implementation by the LGUs of the social amelioration program of the government, he pointed out.

This clustering of barangays could be considered by the DSWD and the LGUs in the distribution of the second tranche of said program, Macalintal said.

AVAO CITY—This city appears to have relaxed its closed-door policy on Davao City residents stranded elsewhere and has began exchanging stranded residents with other local governments in the region.

On its first day of sending off stranded residents this week, the city government facilitated the transport of five residents from Davao Oriental who were stranded here. In turn, it received two Davao City residents stranded in Mati, Davao Oriental in exchange.

On the second day, the city facilitated the return of 21 residents from Davao Occidental.

On Thursday, it sent five stranded residents back to Davao Oriental and 25 back to Davao Occidental. It received four students from the University of Southern Mindanao in Kabacan, North Cotabato, two from Davao Oriental, and a big group of students from the Mindanao State University in Marawi City, 17 of them are residents of this city.

The rest of the MSU students were from other places but which the city agreed to facilitate their return to their respective hometowns.

However, Davao City Mayor Sara DuterteCarpio advised other people here who wish to return to their hometown to inquire with their respective local governments if they have a program to take in stranded residents from Davao City. She said they should also inquire with other towns and provinces that they would pass by if they would be allowed passage.

She warned that places like the Caraga Region in northeastern Mindanao was reluctant to allow their residents to return if they came from this city due to its rate of infection classified as high risk by the national Interagency Task Force on Covid-19.

This city has since reported confirmed local transmission largely due to the unchecked holding of a multimillion-peso cock derby in early March, a week before the country and this city went on a lockdown.

When it locked down on March 15, the city has also shut down all requests for city residents stranded elsewhere, saying they have to wait for the state of national emergency and quarantines to be lifted before they could return. The city has been sending relief assistance to those stranded in Clark and Mactan airport, and in other provinces.

She said government doctors are wary of accepting stranded residents from elsewhere, saying this would disrupt their monitoring and identifying the sources of infection, aside from the lack of confinement centers to accommodate them.

This week, government doctors gave the green light to city authorities to open its borders to stranded residents on condition they have to undergo a series of examinations and inquiries from border and airport medical personnel if they arrive before they would be sent to confinement centers to undergo a 14-day quarantine.

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Road rehab on Labor Day Workers from the Department of Public Works and Highways take advantage of the fine weather and easy traffic under the enhanced community quarantine still in effect in Metro Manila and other areas to undertake Labor Day road rehabilitation projects along Roxas Boulevard in Manila on Friday, May 1, Labor Day. ROY DOMINGO

Ban on mass gatherings in ECQ areas stays–IATF

By Samuel P. Medenilla

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fter intense pressure from local government units (LGU), the InterAgency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases’ (IATF) retracted its order to relax the ban on mass gathering activities in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ).

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the IATF made the decision during its meeting on Friday, a day after Malacañang announced that religious activities and work-related gatherings will be allowed in GCQ areas.

“So we are back with the rule that all mass gatherings are not allowed,” Roque said during an online news briefing aired on PTV 4.

Roque noted that after he announced the

decision of the IATF to allow religious activities and work-related gatherings in GCQ areas on Thursday, he was immediately bombarded by complaints from LGUs, who expressed their concerns over the decision.

Many of the local officials were concerned how they will be enforce the mandatory social distancing measure inside places of worships, as well as offices, which are all private properties.

Roque noted the IATF took note of their concerns in deciding to reimpose its ban for all mass gathering activities.

ECQ status

Another issue raised by some local leaders to the IATF, Roque said was their appeal to have the classifications of their areas, which are already under GCQ status, to be reverted to enhanced

community quarantine (ECQ).

As of Thursday, the areas under ECQ are the National Capital Region (NCR), Regions 3 (except the province of Aurora) and 4A, provinces of Pangasinan, Benguet, Iloilo, Cebu as well as the cities of Bacolod and Davao.

He said among the regions, which made the request are Bacolod, Zamboanga City and Legazpi City.

Roque explained under the new government policy, the status of the quarantine for LGUs could only be changed with the authorization of the IATF. Of the LGUs, which requested to be placed under ECQ, is Bacolod. The rest, Roque said, are yet to be acted upon by the IATF. GCQs have more relaxed quarantine measures compared to ECQ since it allows more businesses and public transportation to operate.

Macalintal suggests clustering of barangays to ease delivery Pangilinan urges Duterte to front-load of social amelioration funds o assure proper and orderly distribution of social amelioration funds, there should be clustering, or grouping of contiguous barangays, in big or heavily populated local government units with a reasonable, or aggregate number of beneficiaries per clustered barangay, lawyer Romulo Macalintal proposed on Friday.

For instance, he said, Quezon City with 140 barangays could create, say 28 clustered barangays, or 5 barangays per clustered barangay, depending on the reasonable number of beneficiaries that could be served per clustered barangay.

Barangays with small number of beneficiaries, Macalintal said, could be merged, or grouped with other barangays, which have not yet reached the maximum number of beneficiaries that could served at a given time.

Distribution of funds shall be properly scheduled per clustered barangay and should be with full adherence to health protocols against Covid-19 spread, he added.

Each clustered barangay shall be headed by an official of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and an official representing the local government unit (LGU) with support staff, Macalintal said.

unload some of their crews for char tered f lights for Mani la.”

Dormant cruise ships need to employ a skeleton crew of around 100 people per ship for maintenance, according to Geslani.

He said Carnival has been booking charter flights when possible, “but it’s currently in the process of sailing thousands of crew members to their home countries”. In Manila Bay a lone, Car niva l ships have onboa rd about 3, 50 0 Fi l ipi no crew members waiting to complete a gover nment-m a nd ated 14 -day quarantine before they can d isembark.

Per his monitoring, about 15 more cruise ships are expected to arrive from Europe, Asia and the USA with more than 2,000 Filipino seafarers aboard “since the rest of their fellow Filipino seamen have been brought home to the Philippines earlier by chartered flights.”

aid for 2.2-million displaced workers

By Butch Fernandez

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he Duterte administration was asked on Labor Day Friday to front-load “urgent and long-term” aid to an estimated 2.2-million jobless workers laid off by companies reeling from the economic backlash of the coronavirus (Covid-19) contagion on the business sector.

S e n ato r Fra n c i s Pa n gi l i n a n p ro d d e d government agencies concerned to promptly set in motion timely assistance to affected workers, amid the economic slowdown ensuing from the total lockdown ordered by Malacañang to contain Covid-19.

T h e s e n a t o r s t re s s e d t h e D u t e r t e administration “needs to speed up urgent, as well as, long-term help for the 2.2 million Filipinos rendered jobless by Covid-19 and the subsequent halt in most economic activities.”

In a news statement, Pangilinan pointed

out Labor Day coincided with the first day of the third ex tension of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ). The senator found it ironic that this year’s Labor Day, traditionally an occasion for workers from different sectors to congregate, cannot gather and mark the occasion together. “ Kakaibang Araw ng Paggawa ngayon, di pwedeng mag-sama-sama at magdiwang ang mga nagbabanat ng buto sa mga factory, office, at kalsada, maging sa mga bukid, dagat, at construction site. Dahil sa ECQ, 2.2 milyon na ang nawalan ng kinabubuhay, kabilang na ang tinatayang 200,000 na OFWs [overseas Filipino workers],” the senator added.

Still, Pangilinan said, “We welcome the labor department’s workplace protection and Covid-19 prevention plan, as well as its recovery plan to create 1 million jobs in the provinces.

Kailangang madaliin ito .”

The senator recalled Labor Secretar y Silvestre Bello’s assurance that “a recovery plan under discussion will also provide a three-month wage subsidy to workers in micro and small-scale enterprises, including those in the ‘gig.’ economy and members of the mass media.”

Pa n g i l i n a n a d d e d t h a t t h e D u t e r t e administration’s prompt response through cash aid/wage subsidy will save workers’ families from hunger amid the crisis. “ Ang mabilisang pagresponde sa pamamagitan ng cash aid o wage subsidy ang magsasalba sa gutom sa mga pamilya ng mga manggagawa habang nakikipagbunuan tayo sa krisis pangkalusugang ito ,” he said.

T h e s e n a t o r l i k e w i s e l a u d e d “a l l workers, especially frontliners and including those who work from home and those who are hustling to sur vive mostly through micro - entrepreneurship.”

The World BusinessMirror

Editor: Angel R. Calso

Gilead caught between making a profit and treating the world

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ilead Sciences Inc. may spend $1 billion on its breakthrough new treatment for Covid-19 this year alone, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Daniel O’Day said. How much revenue—if any— the company expects to generate is another matter.

Details from a US government study and a separate trial conducted by the company itself suggest remdesivir may become the first medication approved to treat the novel coronavirus, which has sickened 3.2 million people worldwide and killed 233,000. Gilead is still in the early stages of developing and getting approvals for the medication to treat the pathogen, which first emerged in China less than six months ago.

The company has pledged to donate 1.5 million vials of the drug, its entire current supply, while O’Day said it is working with other major pharmaceutical companies to boost production of the medication, which must be given intravenously. The unprecedented pace and nature of the operation has left investors and the analysts who scrutinize corporate performance scrambling to understand what the business will ultimately look like.

Geoff Porges, an analyst at SVB Leerink Llc., asked what he termed a controversial question on Gilead’s first-quarter earnings call on Thursday. The biotechnology giant has built a profitable business with drugs that have nearly eliminated hepatitis C and turned HIV into a chronic condition from a death sentence. Will it generate the same sort of returns with remdesivir?

“What’s special about Covid?” Porges asked.

“Should we assume the capital returns and the profitability for providing a global treatment for Covid long term, after the first 200,000 or 300,000 courses are provided on a donation basis? Should we assume the returns are going to be similar to the returns you have generated in other parts of the business?”

O’Day responded by citing the unprecedented nature of the pandemic.

“There has been no other time like this in the history of the planet,”O’Day said.“There is no rule book out there, other than that we need to be thoughtful about how we can make sure we provide access of our medicines to patients around the globe and do that in a sustainable way for the company, for shareholders, and we acknowledge that. So point’s well-taken.”

‘Moving parts’

The CEO said it would be premature to discuss potential revenue because there are “a lot of moving parts right now.” He said Gilead would seek to come up with a sustainable model that would benefit patients around the world.

“We understand our responsibility, and we understand the responsibility to a variety of different audiences,” he added.

On the call, O’Day attempted to establish remdesivir as a standard of care for Covid-19, saying that future studies of treatments for the condition will have to compare against the drug or use it in a combination therapy.

He also said that Foster City, California-based Gilead is working closely with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to get full approval of the medication, though Gilead may first need to get an emergency-use authorization as an initial step toward full approval.

The company would be able to charge for the drug if it is granted an emergency clearance rather than a full approval, he said. Additional studies may not be needed to meet FDA demands, he said.

The government’s trial results “demonstrate safety and efficacy at a highly statistical level, which is usually the barrier for a full approval,” he said.

“So that’s what we are working with them on. And I don’t want to get ahead of the agency on that.”

Bloomberg News

Outsiders see possibility of chaos in North Korea

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OKYO—North Korea’s collapse has been predicted—wrongly— for decades. Some said it would happen after fighting ended in the Korean War in 1953. Others thought it would be during a 1990s famine, or when national founder Kim Il Sung died in 1994. And when the death of his son, Kim Jong Il, thrust a little-known 20-something into power in 2011, some felt the end was near.

It’s no surprise then that recent rumors that leader Kim Jong Un is seriously ill have led to similar hand-wringing.

South Korea believes Kim is alive and in control, and most analysts agree that even if he weren’t, Kim’s powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong, would likely take control, possibly with the help of select officials.

Many experts say North Korea would weather the transition just as it has every other upheaval.

But what if it didn’t? Here’s a look at how other nations might deal with a catastrophe in North Korea.

The United States

If the government in Pyongyang should collapse, a US-South Korean contingency plan called OPLAN 5029 would reportedly come into play.

The plan is meant to secure the border and North Korea’s nuclear weapons if the government can’t function, or if control of those weapons becomes uncertain.

“The million-dollar question is: When do you invoke the OPLAN and what indicators do you rely on to do so? Because one country’s ‘securing the country’ operation can look to the other nation like an ‘invasion plan.’ And then all hell can break loose,” said Vipin Narang, a North Korea nuclear specialist at MIT. The biggest US worry is North Korea’s nuclear stockpile being used, stolen or sold.

“If the US does not have plans to go in and secure and retrieve North Korean nukes—to the extent we know where they are—then we are not doing our job,” said Ralph Cossa, president emeritus of the Pacific Forum think tank in Hawaii. “Beyond that, it makes little sense for the US and/or South Korea to get involved in internal North Korean power struggles.”

The danger of a US misstep during a collapse would be huge. Among the potential problems would be coordinating with South Korea’s military at a time when Chinese troops would also likely be operating in the North and funding immense military and humanitarian efforts.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said recently, when asked about Kim’s health, that Washington will continue to pursue complete denuclearization, “regardless of

what transpires inside of North Korea with respect to their leadership.”

China

China is the North’s main source of aid and diplomatic backing and considers political stability in its impoverished neighbor crucial to its own security.

Although China has agreed to United Nations sanctions over the North’s weapons programs, it’s wary of anything that would collapse the economy, or unseat the ruling party and potentially unleash conflict on its border and a flood of refugees crossing over.

China in recent years has reinforced its border defenses with the North. But many people living on the Chinese side of the border are ethnically Korean, increasing fears of instability, or even territorial loss if the border was opened.

China’s biggest concern, however, is thought to be the prospect of American and South Korean troops operating along its border, a worry that prompted China to enter the Korean War 70 years ago.

A change in leadership in North Korea, however, would be unlikely to bring about major changes to the relationship, said Lu Chao, a professor at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences in China.

South Korea

Aside from joint plans with the US military, internal South Korean preparations for a North Korean collapse reportedly deal with how to shelter an influx of refugees and how to set up an emergency administrative headquarters in the North.

According to leaked US diplomatic cables, then senior South Korean presidential adviser Kim Sung-hwan told a top US diplomat in 2009 that South Korea’s constitution states that North Korea is part of South Korean territory and that “some scholars believe that if the North collapses, some type of ‘interim entity’ will have to be created to provide local governing and control travel of North Korean citizens.”

When asked recently about contingency plans, South Korea’s Unification Ministry said it “prepares for all possibilities.”

One big problem is that unlike China, South Korea cannot mobilize the large number of soldiers needed to stabilize North Korea.

“If the North Korean regime is on the brink of collapse, China will most likely send troops to its ally and establish a pro-Beijing regime in the country,” South Korea’s JoongAng Ilbo newspaper said in a recent editorial. “Seoul must do its best to minimize China’s intervention in the North based on the solid alliance with” Washington. AP

Saturday, May 2, 2020

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Economic figures show grim toll in Europe, US from virus

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EW YORK—Bleak new figures Thursday underscored the worldwide economic pain inflicted by the coronavirus: The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits has climbed past a staggering 30 million, while Europe’s economies have gone into an epic slide.

And as bad as the numbers are, some are already outdated because of the lag in gathering data. The true economic picture is almost certainly much worse.

The statistics are likely to stoke the debate over whether to ease the lockdowns that have closed factories and other businesses.

While many states and countries have pressed ahead, health officials have warned of the danger of a second wave of infection, and some employers and employees have expressed fear of going back to work when large numbers of people are still dying.

In the US, the government reported that 3.8 million laidoff workers applied for jobless benefits last week, raising the total to 30.3 million in the six weeks since the outbreak took hold. The layoffs amount to 1 in 6 American workers and encompass more people than the entire population of Texas.

Some economists say t hat when the US unemployment rate for April comes out next week, it could be as high as 20 percent—a figure not seen since the Depression of the 1930s, when joblessness peaked at 25 percent.

T he number of A mer icans thrown out of work could be much higher than the unemployment claims show, because some people have not applied and others couldn’t get through to their states’ overwhelmed systems. A poll by two economists found that the US may have lost 34 million jobs.

T here wa s g r i m new d at a across Europe, too, where more than 130,000 people with the virus have died. The economy in the 19 countries using the euro shrank 3.8 percent in the first quarter of the year, the biggest contraction since the eurozone countries began keeping joint statistics 25 years ago.

“This is the saddest day for the global economy we have ever seen” in the 50 years that economists at High Frequency Economics have been following the data, they wrote in a report.

Even then, the statistics do

not capture the enormity of the crisis. The quarterly figures cover January through March, and many of the lockdowns in Europe and the US were not imposed until March—the second half of March in a multitude of places in the United States.

Stocks fell on Wall Street as the discouraging news piled up, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average losing nearly 290 points, or more than 1 percent. Even Amazon, which Americans are relying on heavily to stock up on goods, offered a mixed report, with sales skyrocketing in the first quarter but profits dropping 29 percent because of the rising costs to get all those packages shipped.

The company still ended the quarter on a relatively high note, however, reporting net earnings of $2.5 billion—an astonishing contrast to the losses sustained by some companies. One of them, American Airlines, slammed by a lack of passengers during the outbreak, on Thursday reported a loss of $2.2 billion for the period.

T he v ir us has k i l led over 230,000 people worldwide, including more than 61,000 in the US, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. Confirmed infections globally topped 3.2 million, with 1 million of them in the US, but the true numbers are believed to be much higher because of limited testing, differences in counting the dead and concealment by some governments.

In other developments: n Dr. Anthony Fauci, the US gover nment’s top infectiousdiseases expert, said he expects federal approval for the first drug to prove effective against the coronavirus to happen “really quickly.” Remdesivir, made by California’s Gilead Sciences, hastened the recovery of Covid-19 patients in a major government study, and it might also have reduced deaths, according to Fauci. n A 1,000-bed Navy hospital ship that arrived in New York City to great fanfare a month ago left town after treating just 182 patients. The surge of cases there has fallen well short of the doomsday

Taxi driver Mor Gob, wearing a mask to protect against coronavirus, delivers boxes with prepared meals to people in need in the Bronx borough of New York, on Thursday, April 30, 2020. More than 3.8 million laid-off workers applied for unemployment benefits last week as the US economy slid further into a crisis that is becoming the most devastating since the 1930s. AP

predictions. The 24-hour number of deaths statewide was down to 306, the lowest in a month. n With signs that the outbreak has stabilized in places, President Donald Trump said he would not extend the White House’s socialdistancing guidelines past their expiration Thursday. Those guidelines encouraged people to work from home and avoid restaurants, groups and nonessential travel. n Trump continued to speculate on the origins of the coronavirus, saying that China could have unleashed it on the world due to some kind of horrible “mistake,” or that it might have been released intentionally. Intelligence agencies said they are still examining a notion put forward by the president and aides that the pandemic may have resulted from an accident at a Chinese lab. n A suburban Minneapolis nursing home, St. Therese of New Hope, said 47 residents have died as a result of Covid-19 in yet another severe outbreak at an institution for the frail or elderly. At least 70 people have died at a veterans home in Massachusetts in the deadliest known cluster of its kind. n California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered beaches in Orange County closed until further notice after tens of thousands of people flocked to the sand last weekend. n Nascar announced it will resume the season on March 17 but without fans in the stands. But the Little League announced it would cancel its World Series for the first time ever.

This week, the US estimated its economy shrank at a 4.8-percent annual rate in the first three months of the year, the sharpest quarterly drop since the 2008 financial crisis. The current quarter is expected to be much worse, with a staggering 40-percent drop projected.

Still, analysts saw a glimmer of hope in the way new unemployment claims have fallen for four

straight weeks. Andrew Stettner, a senior fellow at the Century Foundation, said the wave of layoffs at vulnerable businesses such as restaurants, hotels and stores may have largely run its course.

“Thankfully, for now, the economic contagion seems to have plateaued,” Stettner said. “But we’re still at a level that is a mortal threat to the nation’s financial well-being.”

Across the US, many governors have taken steps to gradually reopen their economies, amid impatience among Americans who complain their livelihoods are being destroyed and their rights trampled.

In Michigan, hundreds of protesters returned to the Capitol to denounce Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s stay-home order and business restrictions.

T he Republican-led Michigan House refused to extend the state’s coronavirus emergency declaration and voted to authorize a lawsuit challenging Whitmer’s authority and actions to combat the pandemic.

But even in states where businesses are being allowed to reopen, some workers are uneasy about returning.

Lacey Ward, an Omaha hairstylist, said she is worried that the Nebraska governor’s decision to let salons reopen on May 4 could put her and her family at risk. She would prefer to collect unemployment until the danger subsides.

“I feel like we are literally the guinea pigs in this situation,” she said.

Finding enough workers willing to return is proving to be a challenge for Jennifer Holliday, manager at a restaurant in Oklahoma City that will reopen its dining room Friday. Many of her employees are not returning calls, or messages. “ T here a re some who wa nt to just r ide it out a nd t a ke t he u nemploy ment,” she sa id. AP

It took a pandemic to get Latin Americans to buy more online

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he coronavirus pandemic is reshaping consumer habits in Latin America, sending droves of buyers online for the first time.

MercadoLibre Inc., the region’s largest e-commerce marketplace, said it registered 1.7 million new customers from February 24 to March 22, up 28 percent from the same period a year earlier.

While lockdowns to slow the spread of the coronavirus have been a boon to e-commerce retailers everywhere, the trend is all the stronger in Latin America because online shopping never really took off in region in the first place.

Only 34 percent of consumers 15 years and older buy goods over the Internet, compared with 82 percent in the UK, 74 percent in the US and just above 60 percent in China, HSBC Holdings Plc notes.

It’s a “point of no return,” MercadoLibre

Chief Operating Officer Stelleo Tolda said in an interview. “Digitalization will stabilize at a much higher level.”

Online shopping, which now accounts for just 5 percent of the region’s retail sales, will surge to 25 percent in a decade, HSBC analysts led by Ravi Jain said in an April 22 report. The coronavirus is accelerating the shift, said the firm, which previously forecast 18-percent penetration by 2030.

“Covid-19 could do to Latin America what SARS did to Chinese e-commerce in the early 2000s,” Jain wrote.

Tech firms like MercadoLibre are the “big winners” from the current turbulence, said Aline Cardoso, a São Paulo-based portfolio manager at Trafalgar Investimentos, which has been buying shares in the e-commerce platform and Globant SA, Argentina’s largest software developer. In

Argentina, the strict lockdown is also finally pushing suspicious consumers into formal banking and online payments.

As of Wednesday, Buenos Aires-based MercadoLibre’s American depositary receipts had rallied 35 percent since April 1, when they touched a 13-month low amid the global market rout.

Shares fell 3 percent Thursday to $583.51 per share.

Optimism for the future of digital sales comes with a caveat: Consumers may be buying more online, but they’ll struggle as the economic fallout from widespread lockdowns weighs on employment and salaries. The International Monetary Fund has warned that weakness going into the pandemic means Latin America may be in for a “lost decade.”

E-commerce companies, including behemoth Amazon.com Inc. have tried for years to win the hearts of Latin American consumers. Seven years

after entering Brazil as a platform for books, Amazon announced in 2019 it would expand its offerings.

But while online shopping is relatively well established in the big cities, outside of Brazil’s more developed South and Southeastern regions, delivery drivers must contend with rough roads and bandits bent on stealing their cargo. In some remote areas, it often takes more than two weeks to get a package ordered online and delivery fees can exceed the cost of the products.

MercadoLibre has a much bigger logistics operation, plus online payment services and more than 11 million vendors selling over 270 million items. While Brazil is historically its largest market, the company is seeing a faster pace of growth in Mexico, Chile and Colombia since the pandemic began, Tolda said.

Bloomberg News

A6 Saturday, May 2, 2020

ExportUnlimited BusinessMirror

PHL agriculture exports reach new markets amid Covid-19 pandemic

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HILIPPINE agricultural exports broke into three new international markets despite the coronavirus 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic and the varied local community quarantines. In the past two months, maiden shipments of avocados arrived in China, cacao in Belgium, and coconut milk in Russia.

Department of Trade and IndustryTrade Promotions Group Undersecretary Abdulgani M. Macatoman attributed these milestones to the efforts of the DTI-Foreign Trade Service Corps (DTI-FTSC) overseas and the DTI-Export Marketing Bureau (DTI-EMB) in the Philippines.

Macatoman said that the Department of Agriculture (DA) also played a crucial role in ensuring adequate supply and negotiating market access protocols with other countries.

Philippine avocados officially entered China through a 7.7-ton shipment from the fruit company Dole Philippines. The avocados were shipped from Davao and arrived at the Dole China processing plant in Shanghai on March 31, 2020.

The avocados will be first sold by Al-

T

ibaba Group’s supermarket chain Hema Xiansheng and will be available in more stores in the future.

On the other hand, Auro Chocolate brought Philippine cacao beans to the European market through a shipment to Antwerp, Belgium, on April 16, 2020.

The shipment, which brought 20,000 kilograms of Mindanao-sourced, premium cacao beans, was composed of five different cacao varieties, including the Paquibato Origin, winner of the Cocoa Excellence Award in 2019.

Last, Philippine brand Coco Daily organic coconut milk arrived at the port of Saint Petersburg first week of April. Russian importer PanAsia Impex Ltd. said that the 1-liter packages of Coco Daily that arrived in the 40foot shipping container will be avail-

TERRY CHAN, general manager of Dole China (left), and Vice Consul Mario C. Tani of Philippine Trade and Investment Center Shanghai PHOTO COURTESY OF DTI-FOREIGN TRADE SERVICE CORPS

able to mainstream consumers during the spring in Russia, which typically runs from March to May. “Now is the time for Philippine agricultural products to thrive,” said DTIEMB Director Senen M. Perlada. He said that DTI-EMB will strengthen its coordination with the DA and DTI-FTSC to match supply with demand. In turn, DTI-EMB will capacitate existing and aspiring exporters for them to be able

to comply with international standards.

“Covid-19 may lead to market access issues and nontariff measures. It may be more difficult to comply with stricter regulations, certifications, external and domestic regulations. The DTI-EMB commits to assist exporters, especially MSMEs [micro, small and medium enterprises], to comply with these requirements and introduce their products to the world,” said Perlada.

STMO continues listing of exporters of strategic, dual-use goods

T

HE Department of Trade and Industry’s Strategic Trade Management Office (DTI-STMO) continues to accept and process the registration of exporters seeking authorization to export strategic goods under the Strategic Trade Management Act (STMA) and would start the export authorization process by July 2020.

Justin Herrera, officer in charge of policy and enterprise relations division of STMO, said in a webinar on STMA implementation last April 21 that companies whose export products are considered strategic goods, or dual-use goods, should register with the STMO as a prerequisite to licensing, or authorization.

STMO is the lead government agency responsible for managing the trade

With export firms as model, trade chief outlines benchmark, protocol in biz ops

of strategic goods and technologies to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Strategic, or dual-use goods, are items like software and technology which can be used for both civil and military end use, or in connection with the development, production, handling, operation, maintenance, storage, detection, identification of dissemination of weapons of mass destruction of their means of delivery.

“Registration is ongoing even as STMO office is currently on a work-from-home setup,” Herrera said, adding that even with the Covid-19 situation, “we’re still processing registration applications as we speak.”

He advised companies to check the Na-

tional Strategic Goods List (NSGL) to see if their export products are part of the list.

“If your products are indeed controlled, please register to STMO.” Applicants need to submit to the STMO the complete documentary requirements for processing of their registration via stmo@dti.gov.ph. He said that registration guidelines are available on the STMO web site, and that the agency’s newly updated web site may be accessed at https://www.dti.gov.ph/trabaho/ strategic-trade-management/.

Companies that have already registered are right now preparing for their application for license, or authorization in July, he added.

“We’re now in the registration phase and we’re transitioning to export autho-

rization,” Herrera said. He stressed that the export authorization phase “will push through this July and STMO will be processing your license once you submit your complete documents required.”

The STMA, or Republic Act 10697, otherwise known as “An Act preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction by managing the trade in strategic goods, the provision of related services, and for other purposes,” was enacted into law in 2015.

Businesses involved in controlled activities relating to goods that are listed in the Philippines’ NSGL are required to obtain authorization from the STMO. Failure to obtain the necessary authorization may result in penalties and imprisonment.

RADE Secretary Ramon M. Lopez said best hygiene and health measures practiced among leading export companies should be the new protocol in business operations as the country prepares for the post-enhanced community quarantine (post-ECQ) scenario.

“Minimum health standards such as strict social distancing, wearing of face masks, presence of sanitation stations, and taking of body temperature must always be observed in work and public places,” the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) chief said.

“Likewise, the conduct of Covid-19 tests, provision of nearby accommodations and shuttle services, allowing more work-from-home arrangements, and health-care preparedness and insurance from enterprises, should be the ‘new normal’ as we ease into the new way of doing business,” he added.

The trade chief explained that these measures must be exercised in order to minimize the health risk among workers as essential enterprises conduct their operations.

Lopez further emphasized that these be strictly required once other sectors are allowed to conduct businesses.

“We need to have a new way of doing business to ensure that our significant gains during the ECQ and the collective efforts in flattening the curve will not be put to waste once ECQ is fully lifted,” the trade chief said.

“It is accepted that health takes primacy over the economy, but there is no dichotomy between the two if we take precautionary health measures when we do business and work with other people to minimize any health risk in a post-ECQ environment,” Lopez added.

Several sectors have been recognized by DTI for their interventions in protecting the safety and well-being of their employees, as well as in providing them with extensive health benefits.

Among these include leading export-oriented manufacturing industries, which provided additional health benefits such as near-site accommodation and shuttle services, hiring from local communities, and regular checkups and health care in the workplace.

These companies also distributed face masks and digital thermometers to employees at no cost, and deployed ambulances, isolation tents and clinics in their facilities.

DTI has also been working along with the Departments of Health and Labor and Employment to issue the new set of guidelines on the minimum health protocols in all business operations.

The trade chief acknowledged the importance of continuing working-from-home arrangements to help mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. He added that the rise of the e-commerce industry and delivery models should be further enhanced even after the ECQ. “As we continue to collaborate with different industries, we call on the cooperation of all our partners in the private sector to maintain best practices through observing health protocols and sustaining measures for employees’ welfare.

Only then can we heal as one and move forward as one,” Lopez said.

Millennials seen driving ‘specialized’ nutrition category in post-pandemic era

T

HE coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) will radically change “specialized” nutrition, with brands seeking to support the most vulnerable, with the millennials driving the category in the post-pandemic era.

“Covid-19 will affect specialized nutrition from multiple angles, influencing health supplement priorities,

food sourcing, and a drive in health monitoring,” Rick Miller, Mintel’s Food and Drink Associate Director for Specialized Nutrition, said in the Market Intelligence Digest.

Miller said infection fear drives immune-boosting diets, while consumers may be more willing to try botanical ingredients with health benefits in

the event of an unavailability of an approved vaccine.

He said the crisis has exposed vulnerable groups that need specialized products. “In the event of no vaccines, immune-boosting herbal extracts will be in high demand,” he added. “Brands shouldconsiderNPD[newproductdevelopment] with immunity positioning to

groups most at risk such as seniors, pregnant, nursing mothers, and those with long-term diseases such as diabetes.”

Miller also underscored the change in consumer demands for home air quality devices, electronic entertainment, and health monitoring after rehabilitating from social isolation and working from home.

“Brands should keep close watch on diagnostic technologies that will prevent, manage, and protect against future outbreaks and personalize nutritional health support,” he said.

Miller said specialized nutrition brands and their reactions to consumer outlook on aspects of health are expected to shape the specialized

nutrition category in the future.

He also sees the millennials leading the drive on specialized nutrition purchasing in the post Covid-19 era.

“Millennials are far more influenced by trending news stories, and as a consequence, are more liable to make changes to their lifestyle than any other consumer groups,” Miller said.

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FVR is doing fine RAMOS

M

By Ben Cal | Philippine News Agency

ANILA—Former President Fidel V. Ramos is doing fine under strict quarantine at home watching the news on television about developments in containing the Covid-19 pandemic spreading across the globe. This was the text message sent by his secretary, Mae Gaffud, on Wednesday in reply to questions by media asking about the health of FVR, the former president’s initials.

“Many of you have been asking about FVR. He is doing fine under strict quarantine,” Gaffud said.

“As I mentioned to some of you, he passes the day watching the news and documentaries,” she said. Gaffud also said that “just like most of us, he [FVR] is bored and can’t wait to go back to work.”

Malacañang reporters who covered Ramos during his presidency, from June 30, 1992 to June 30, 1998, were supposed to see FVR on March 17, 2020, but the courtesy call was canceled due to the outbreak of the pandemic.

Ramos is known for his being a workaholic as President of the Philippines, Secretary of National Defense, and throughout his more than 40 years during his tour of duty in the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

At age 92, Ramos still goes to work in his office at RPDEV in Makati City.

Gaffud said she talks to FVR via video call and “ he never fails to remind me to make sure to stay at home. I am sure this is also his message to us all. Let’s all stay home and help f latten the curve! We hope to see you soon!”

Tourism is storytelling

By Nick Tayag

MY SIXTY-ZEN’S WORTH

O

N the few occasions I was able to go abroad, what I eagerly sought out were the people, more than the scenery, more than the iconic landmarks. I observed how the natives talked and how they behaved. I tasted their local cuisine. I went to their museums, theaters, temples, local handicraft stores, and explored their backstreets. I tried to immerse myself into the kind of life as the locals experienced it.

And all that can be summed up in one word: Culture.

This is perhaps why I am not very adept at buying pasalubong. Not because I am a tightwad or miserly. It’s because I devote less of my time to shopping.

To me culture is what really makes a country or a destination different and distinct. Not so much the physical terrain or the scenery because mountains, beaches, forests, rivers, buildings and all seem to look the same from one country to the other.

I choose to spend more time trying to gain a deeper understanding of the culture or heritage of a destination. Culture is what traveling should be all about.

The World Tourism Organization tells us that cultural tourism accounts for 37 percent of global tourism, and furthermore affirms that it will continue to grow 15 percent each year.

In other words, nowadays, a country’s culture is a major driver not only of its tourism sector but also its economy as a whole.

As defined by tourism experts, Cultural Tourism is traveling to experience the places, artifacts and activities that authentically represent the stories and people of the past and present.

To me stories of people and places should be our way of cultural tourism. Why? Let’s face it, we don't have awe-inspiring heritage assets that will command the interest of tourists like the ruins of Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Wall of China,

Borobudur in Indonesia or Angkor Wat in Cambodia or the Parthenon in Greece or the Aztec and Maya temples in South America, or the Roman Coliseum and Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome and so on.

What we have are small simple stories of our people and our places that if packaged properly by local communities can draw tourists and travelers who are culture seekers. Each town or city has its own unique cultural assets, which can be developed such as historical sites, modern urban districts, “ethnic pockets” of town, fairs/festivals, theme parks, and natural ecosystems and so on.

But above all these, my advice is simple: harness the power of storytelling.

All of us are suckers for a good story. Why are we bingeing on teleseryes? Why are we willing to part with our hard-earned money for movies?

It’s because we are hooked on stories.

Come to think of it. Stories are the reason why we are drawn to iconic landmarks. The Pyramids.

The Vatican. The Aztec ruins. The Parthenon. We have been prepped by stories we read about them. Our imagination is filled with the drama and the history behind them.

So my advice to local government leaders is to find the inherent drama in your place that can be built up into theatrical proportions and that can be told well.

It could be a piece of history like the origin of the town or city or the name or the native heroes, or a unique indigenous cuisine. Or whatever.

One example. Taguig and Pasig share a common last syllable, which is “ig.” It has a common etymology with tubig. The names refer to the fact that the first people who built the communities came by boats using the river. Thus, you can create a story around the concept of “People of the River.” This could be the basis of your cultural tourism product. You

can have products made of water lilies fished out of the Pasig River. You can have boat rides. You can blow up the river goddess or diwata, and exploit the song “Mutya ng Pasig.”

Or take another example, a municipality like Santa Maria, Bulacan. This is the birthplace of Jose Corazon de Jesus, the king of the spoken word, balagtasan.

The townsfolk can create an annual festival of the spoken word during his birth month and make a splash to attract tourists, domestic or foreign.

Or Tagaytay. Instead of just offering scenic vistas of the volcano, why not produce an immersive audiovisual presentation that tells the story of Taal and the surrounding areas, how the volcano has buried whole towns and churches hundreds of years before and then give them a feel of the eruption through mechanical movement of the seats. After viewing this sensurround video, tourists will not only be entertained, they will have a deeper and richer appreciation of Taal area as they look around.

Just use the imagination and you can conjure up a spectacle through sound, images and motion. You can utilize holographic technology to make characters come alive, if your budget is up to it. Let it become viral on social media and then wait for the busloads of tourists to come.

This is the power of theatrical storytelling.

Showcasing our culture through powerful and creative storytelling helps preserve our cultural and historical heritage. By hooking our own people into the story of our culture, we are able to establish and reinforce our cultural identity and help build our self-image…our branding as a nation in the minds of other people.

One can take a traveler’s mind out of a destination but one can never take that destination out of his mind. For once it is well told and experienced, a culture will stay in the mind forever.

Editor: Angel R. Calso • Saturday, May 2, 2020 A7

Dan Villa: ‘Determination, resiliency and creativity will make you succeed’

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

‘T

HE journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” This maxim characterizes the career path of seasoned advertising executive Dan Villa.

Villa’s advertising career started when his elder counterparts mentored him, as he was then the new kid on the block.

Villa, the chairman of CREATIVILLA, said he was a diligent student who tried to absorb all the things his mentors taught him. “By learning the ropes, I honed my skills as taught by my older counterparts. I focused on becoming one day a leader in the industry, as if it was my natural habitat,” Villa told the BusinessMirror in a recent e-mail interview.

Villa admitted it was not a walk in the park as learning advertising stuff required a lot of hard work.

He started as a trainee account executive in advertising and marketing when he joined a small advertising agency, Commerce Advertising. Villa got his baptism of fire when his boss assigned him to slug it out in the Chinesedominated accounts: La Germania, Silver Swan, Sanyo, among others.

“I had to go to the salt mines and learn, learn, and learn more from the big stars in the advertising and media spheres, until some stars twinkle in your own eyes,” he said.

After a three-year stint at Commerce Advertising, Villa joined Asia Communications Center Inc. After working with the two companies, he formed Brand Recall and Direction Advisors (BRDA) with some of his friends. The company only lasted for two years. Although he was the youngest director, he was the top producer of accounts.

Road to entrepreneurship

VILLA decided to go solo when he realized that he is only enriching his employer “exponentially.”

It was high time to shift the focus to myself. “It is best to be the leader of, by, and through your own,” Villa said.

VILLA

Thus, he formed CREATIVILLA 10 years ago. He describes CREATIVILLA as a communication strategy specialist, dealing with innovative approaches, synergistically dealing beyond nontraditional methods to communicate based on desired objectives of the clients.

To make the company competitive, Villa recruited specialists­— creatives, strategists, influencers, thinkers and the likes. “Creativity spans an extensive definition and application of the word. It can apply to the ad works you do; the visual rendition; copy; work attitude; media; presentation; imagery; effective use of layered and phased execution in media and events. We like to house this in one roof. Thus, the birth of CREATIVILLA,” he said.

“We handle multimillion accounts in various industries,” Villa added.

As an entrepreneur, Villa had to undergo several adjustments, which required bigger responsibilities such as the handling of people.

“This is the big responsibility that you have to undertake, understand, under oath…and that is an understatement,” Villa said.

Aside from being the chairman of CREATIVILLA, Villa was also the former president, then chairman of the

Association of Advertising Agencies, Philippines (4 A’s-P) and ex-officio chairman of the ADBOARD (Advertising Board of the Philippines), then the envy of the other advertising associations in the world as the only selfregulating body on earth composed of 9-member associations regulating the Philippine Ad Business.

“We can pull down any ad in all media if they violated the Code of Ethics. That was the golden age of advertising,” he recalled.

Right now, Villa is like an Obiwan Kenobi in the Star Wars franchise, sharing his experience and knowledge to his younger colleagues.

Mentoring gives Villa fulfillment as he sees a lot of potential in the young people who are struggling but determined to make it in the “Rat Race.”

Moreover, he said these people also possess leadership skills that can help ensure a smooth transition.

“Determination, resiliency and creativity are the traits that propel you to succeed,” he said.

“That was the long and winding career path story told. The short story was simply a laser focused determination to catapult my career slowly first, then turbo-boost it in an upward direction to reach the top,” Villa said.

Money for meals for California seniors could end in two weeks

By Michael R. Blood The Associated Press

L

OS ANGELES—California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s first-inthe-nation plan to pay for and deliver three meals a day to vulnerable seniors during the coronavirus crisis has less than two weeks to launch before federal funding runs out, government documents show.

It wasn’t clear how many, if any, cities and counties would be delivering meals in substantial numbers by May 10, when money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency is set to end. Also unclear is how much FEMA has budgeted for the program, though it told The Associated Press there is no preset limit.

FEMA says it will cover threequarters of the cost of preparing and delivering the food made by local restaurants, which could quickly soar into tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars in the nation’s most populous state, which has 5.7 million seniors. The state, cities and counties would pick up the rest of the cost, but local governments would also get an infusion of cash from sales taxes they collect on the meals.

To keep the federal money flowing, the Newsom administration must give a “detailed justification” for continuing the so-called emergency feeding program, FEMA said in an April 10 letter.

“While it is anticipated that, upon successful program execution, the state will request an extension, there is no guarantee it will be granted,” the Governor’s Office of

Emergency Services acknowledged in a planning document.

Without an extension, FEMA said it would cover costs “necessary to end these services in an orderly manner” for 15 days beyond May 10.

Brian Ferguson, a spokesman for the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, said the state had not submitted a request for an extension and would review the program before deciding.

“The number of meals served will depend on the number of counties that decide to participate,” he said in an e-mail.

California requested the program in a letter to FEMA on April 1 and got approval nine days later.

Newsom didn’t announce it and provide details on its scope until two weeks later.

Newsom gave no hint of the tight time frame for financing when he unveiled the program on Friday. Also, while predicting that over a million seniors could benefit, he didn’t illuminate a key element for qualifying for $66-a-day meals: Recipients must be unable to purchase groceries and cook themselves.

It isn’t clear how cities and counties could quickly determine who fits those criteria. They also are just beginning to figure out what restaurants would cook the meals and how they would be delivered.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti spoke hopefully on Monday of having the first meals delivered by taxis next week, building off an existing food-delivery program. He

didn’t estimate how many people could be served.

Los Angeles County, the nation’s largest with 10 million residents, and neighboring San Bernardino County are developing plans, with no estimate for when they might be ready.

California Pizza Kitchen was among the restaurants hoping to get a chance at preparing the meals, calling it “exciting.” But it said it was waiting for more details to determine if it would apply.

At Nightbird in San Francisco, owner Kim Alter said in an e-mail that the restaurant is “working to be a part of this.” “No word yet as to how it will play out,” Alter said.

The meal plan was announced as Newsom and other state officials have started discussing easing stayat-home orders imposed last month to deter the spread of the virus.

Newsom has said the restrictions will likely last longer for people 65 and older because they are at greater risk of more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough.

To be eligible for the meal program, seniors must either live alone or with one other person who is eligible. They can’t earn more than $74,940 per year, or $101,460 for a household of two, and they must have documented exposure to the coronavirus or be at high risk of exposure. Anyone already getting money from other federal food programs would be ineligible.

A8

Saturday, May 2, 2020

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Samsung expects profit decline as pandemic hits sales

ANGEL LOCSIN (third from left) and her fiance Neil Arce (second left) at the San Lazaro Hospital where they received donations from Beko Pilipinas. @THEREALANGELLOCSIN ON INSTAGRAM

Why we think Angel Locsin is an angel S

HE’S been compared to Hollywood celebrities who initiate and lead humanitarian efforts but I see Filipino actress Angel Locsin as her own person. Charity acts committed by people who are rich and famous are generally viewed suspiciously by netizens. Many of Locsin’s endeavors to help those in need have been generally applauded but she has certainly not gained acting jobs or endorsements from it. I don’t claim to know her but I think she really just wants to help people.

Locsin, together with second-generation tycoon Hans Sy of the SM Group, has been named in Forbes’ 13th annual Heroes of Philanthropy list featuring “30 outstanding altruists” in Asia-Pacific. On the list are billionaires and businessmen. Forbes said the actress has donated P15 million in the past 10 years.

Through #UniTENTWeStand, Locsin, her fiancé Neil Arce and their small team raised over P11 million in cash to put up tents outside hospitals.

Beko, the global home appliances brand of the Arçelik Group and belongs to the Koç Holding, one of the largest conglomerates in Europe, was one of the companies that supported #UniTENTWeStand at San Lazaro Hospital.

Helping LGUs and the private sectors is consistent with Beko’s brand purpose to “empower new generations to live healthier.”

“Frontliners are our today’s heroes and we are happy to provide refrigerators, cookers and washing machines to make the place where they are resting more convenient and homey. We are also looking at ways to continue to extend our support during the war against Covid-19,” said Gürhan Günal, country manager of Beko Pilipinas Corp.

Beko Pilipinas is also teaming up with the local government units of Pasig, San Juan and Manila; the hardest-hit hospitals, like Philippine General Hospital, San Juan de Dios Medical Center, Quirino Memorial Medical Center and Delos Santos Medical Center; and recently to the converted mega quarantine facilities in Philippine International Convention Center, Rizal Memorial Stadium and Philippine Arena by donating its innovative washing machines, freestanding cookers and refrigerators for use during the Covid-19 crisis.

Beko is sharing its innovative technologies with frontliners.

With Hygiene+ wash program technology, frontliners will get clean laundry because of its custom drum movements, additional rinse and spin cycles, and sensitive temperature control, especially at 60 degrees cycle as approved by Allergy UK, which eliminates 99 percent of allergens. Meanwhile, the fridge’s EverFresh+ technology ensures ideal humidity and temperature to keep fruit and vegetables crisp and fresh up to three times longer or even up to 30 days. This will help our frontliners stay healthy and keep their meals, fruits and vegetables.

More than just a function to cook food efficiently, Beko’s CookMaster capacity means the cooker can cook loads of food in one go.

In addition, Beko Pilipinas is also working with the #RockEd Relief (@RockEdPhilippines) and #FrontlineFeedersPH (@FrontlineFeedersPH) groups that help and support the medical workers in mobilizing, allocating and providing food delivery to hospitals and ensuring the right number of people are fed at the right time.

Beko has been in the Philippines for five years and is available in select SM Appliance Centers, Robinsons Appliances Stores and Asian Home Appliance Center in Cebu. This year, Beko will be made available soon in other appliance stores nationwide as it continues to expand its distribution to other retail channels. More information is available at www.beko.ph.

“We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to our sponsors and tent suppliers. YOU who have shared a part of your hearts through our campaign.

You have reached out your helping hands even while you are home and did not only give but sent out love and prayers to those who needed your help,” said Locsin in a post on Instagram. #UniTENTWeStand has helped135 hospitals nationwide, put up 246 tents and raised P11,359,856.89.

“In the beginning our only dream was to provide tents to hospitals for patients, for our frontliners, to address the challenge in overcrowding, and to help lessen the increase of spreading the virus in hospitals, but because you were all so generous and kind, we received from you donations of food, PPEs, aircon and many others kaya naman po dahil sa inyo we were able to give out not only tents but also PPEs and other supplies,” said the actress.

Locsin celebrated her 35th birthday recently and I’m sure the success of her project was one of the best birthday gifts that she received. Happy birthday to this angel. May you have the good fortune to help more people in your lifetime. ■

Smart provides communications assistance to Laguna frontliners

BY RIZAL RAOUL S. REYES PLDT wireless arm Smart Communications Inc. (Smart) recently extended communications assistance to frontliners working with the Laguna provincial government amid the province’s Covid-19 response.

Furthermore, PLDT has also provided Internet connectivity to the Incident Command Center

CEREMONIAL turnover of donated smartphones with SIM and load to Dr. Rene Bagamasbad, hospital chief of Laguna Provincial Hospitals.

of the provincial government, as well as boosted connectivity at the Laguna Medical Center in Santa Cruz to accelerate the processing of Covid-19 test results in the province. Fiber-powered Smart WiFi is also available at the Provincial Capitol of Laguna, and the city halls of Biñan, Cabuyao and Santa Rosa.

“The provincial government of Laguna expresses its deepest gratitude for extending your support and generosity to our health workers and frontliners who are battling the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Laguna Gov. Ramil Hernandez in a letter to PLDT Chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan.

“We are greatly affected by the spread of this virus, but your donations have truly helped us and make us more committed in ensuring the health and safety of our frontliners and our people,” Hernandez added.

The donation is the latest in PLDT-Smart’s ongoing partnerships with local government units, government agencies and hospitals to support Covid-19 frontliners.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to extend assistance to the provincial government of Laguna and help their efforts in preventing the spread of the virus in their province,” said Jane B. Basas, senior vice president and head of Consumer Wireless Business.

Previously, PLDT-Smart provided communications assistance to the Department of Health (DOH), the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine General Hospital, the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, and the Department of Transportation by donating SIMS, load cards, smartphones and Wi-Fi kits to provide for the connectivity of their frontliners.

Smart also deployed 24/7 Wi-Fi in newly activated facilities for Covid-19 patients, as well as in campuses that are housing frontliners. Carrier-grade Smart Wi-Fi connectivity is also available in provincial capitols, city and municipal halls across the country, which are being used as a base of operations for local government logistics, transportation and relief, as well as in hospitals, supermarkets and convenience stores. Smart has also deployed Multi-Element On Wheels equipment at San Lazaro Hospital, one of DOH’s primary Covid-19 facilities, which will augment Smart’s LTE, 3G and 2G services in the area.

PLDT, Smart and ePLDT also developed Covid-19 emergency hotlines in partnership with the DOH and the Department of the Interior and Local Government for Filipinos seeking consultation and forwarding concerns about the disease.

SEOUL, South Korea—Samsung Electronics Co. said Wednesday its operating profit for the first three months of 2020 rose 3.4 percent from a year earlier driven by increasing demands for computer chips. However, the company predicted its profit would decline in the current quarter with the coronavirus pandemic eating into global sales of smartphones, TVs and other products.

The South Korean technology giant said it reported an operating profit of 6.4 trillion won ($5.2 billion) for the January-March quarter. The company’s revenue rose 5.6 percent from a year earlier to 55.3 trillion won ($45.4 billion).

Samsung, which has dual strength in parts and finished products, has seen the demand for chips used in computers and servers increase as broadening outbreaks have forcecd more people around the world to work from home.

However, the company said its profit will likely decline in the April-June quarter with the pandemic pushing down the sales of mobile and household devices.

“Sales and profits of set products business, including smartphones and TVs, are expected to decline significantly as Covid-19 affects demand and leads to store and plant closures globally,” the company said in a news release.

“Memory demand is expected to remain robust for servers and PCs as more people work from home, but it is possible the mobile market may soften. Earnings from OLED screens are likely to be weaker due to a stagnant smartphone market,” it said. AP

THE BOUNCE BACK PH MOVEMENT: THE HOPE THAT EMERGED DURING COVID19

MANY countries have been hit by the deadly Covid-19. Some have been hit harder compared to others but, regardless of the degree, it has shaken the world’s economy extensively.

Every single business, big or small, is affected due to the lockdown that has to be implemented by the government of each country to decrease the spread of the coronavirus.

Here in the Philippines, a group under the appellation Bounce Back PH was founded by a mentor and author of the book The Practical Entrepreneur, who is an entrepreneur himself, Jason dela Rosa. Already foreseeing the impact it will have on businesses at the onset of the lockdown period, he gathered the best entrepreneurs, professionals and business owners to serve as a think tank to strategically develop solutions and collaborate, to help endure during and recover after the Covid-19 crisis.

Unexpectedly, Bounce Back PH has transformed from a simple group on social media into a powerful movement. In less than four weeks, the group has over 26,000 members which includes leading industry experts, such as RJ Ledesma of Easy Franchise, Rocky Chan, Sam Jacoba, Gelix Mercader and Nato Agbayani of The Practical Learning Company, Jeff Catimbang, and Andrew John Smith of the Maharlika Group of Co., to name a few.

Bounce Back PH is a social-media platform that aims to support businesses in all industries. It focuses more on the MSMEs since this is the vast majority that has been deeply affected by this on-going quarantine. Companies of different scales collaborate and share ideas to help build one another.

Industry leaders help through scheduled online mentorship, consultancies, collaboration, forums and discussions.

Live sessions are being hosted by experts and generous organizations, such as Easy Franchise, The Practical Learning Company, Association of Filipino Franchisers Inc. (AFFI), GoNegosyo and many others. There has been a sharing relevant articles, best practices, and connections via group chats and Zoom meetings in breakout sessions. Hosting focus group discussions to get sentiments of people through Bounce Back Conversations is also on the agenda.

However, the group was fundamentally created for a specific cause, and that is to help MSMEs “Bounce Back” from this debilitating crisis. Bounce Back formed a task force to brainstorm and formulate a customizable practical framework wherein it will be efficient in providing faster and smarter solutions. It is also gearing up from being an online group into an organization that is equipped with resources, connections and know-how in rescuing and helping businesses recover from an economic crisis. Through the Practical Learning Company, the group will launch the Bounce Back Academy, which will feature 100 percent free learning that will also be soliciting donations to fund SME business continuity programs. Bounce Back PH has also recognized the basic needs during the ECQ. Since bayanihan is still alive in the country, it provided an avenue for entrepreneurs to use their networks and resources in support of frontliners who are the health workers and the police force. Collating donations from cash, goods, PPEs, sanitizers, face/surgical masks, as well as offering food relief projects for communities, this has become an opportunity to extend help.

A message of HOPE. More than the business aspect, this is what Bounce Back PH aspires to deliver to our kababayans, and as one country, we will rise above this global crisis together. To join Bounce Back PH, go to www.facebook.com/ groups/BounceBackPH/ To donate to the movement, you can go to the secure donation link justpay.to/bouncebackph.

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Saturday, May 2, 2020

Apple, Google release virus contact-tracing tools to app makers

BY MARK GURMAN Bloomberg News APPLE Inc. and Google released the first versions of their Covid-19 contact-tracing tools to public health organizations on Wednesday so the agencies can start building applications ahead of the system’s launch in mid-May. The tool set is a combination of software updates for iOS and Android, and software development kits to help developers build and test their apps. Apple released an early beta version of its software update

that incorporates the technology, iOS 13.5, while Google is rolling out an update via its Google Play app store. The first phase of the system will let health agencies build apps that allow a person who tests positive for Covid-19 to input their diagnosis. The system will then use Bluetooth technology to learn who the person has come into contact with and then notify those people of a possible exposure.

Apple released Xcode 11.5, a new version of its software development kit on Wednesday, while Google is providing an update of its SDK to select developers. The companies also said that on Friday

they will release sample code to help developers understand how the exposure-notification system will work, along with more information on which types of apps will be allowed.

A second phase of the project, to be released in the coming months, will have deeper integration with Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android operating systems to rely less on apps. Still, the first version of the program will require a software update for iPhones and a download from the Google Play store for Android phones.

Last week, the companies increased privacy

protections for the system, adding more encryption and limiting the possible recorded exposure time for alerts to 30 minutes. Each public health app will determine when people have been exposed to Covid-19 by setting their own distance and exposure times. On Wednesday, the companies also said that public health apps would be able to define the messaging in their notifications to users.

The software supports all iPhones running iOS 13, covering devices released in the past four years. The system requires Android 6, which runs on about two billion devices. WITH ASSISTANCE FROM GERRIT DE VYNCK

CYBERSECURITY FIRM PROTECTS ‘WORK FROM HOME’ EMPLOYEES FOR FREE

BY RODERICK L. ABAD Contributor

THE reduced advertising triggered by past recessions often triggers layoffs and other cutbacks at long-established publishers and broadcasters trying to offset lost sales. But this downturn may be so severe that digital advertising pillars Google and Facebook may for the first time have to contend with their own revenue shrinking as marketing budgets shrivel. AP

Digital-ad downturn may complicate life for Google, Facebook

D

BY MICHAEL LIEDTKE & BARBARA O�TUTAY The Associated Press

EMAND for digital advertising is shriveling after a decade of explosive growth amid the pandemic-fueled downturn. That could complicate things for Google and Facebook, which for the first time may have to contend with revenues that are actually shrinking. With consumers mostly at home and unemployment soaring, advertisers are slashing promotional spending—in some cases, all the way to zero. For Google and Facebook, who together account for 70 percent of the US market for digital ads, that so far has translated into tighter restraints on spending without the layoffs, pay cuts and furloughs that publishers and other industries have already imposed.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai has already told employees the company will curtail its hiring for the rest of the year and is considering deep cuts in its own marketing budget through 2020, according to internal communications obtained by CNBC t hat Google confirmed.

Facebook warned last month that its business was already being squeezed by the advertising downturn, although it didn’t provide details. In countries hardhit by the pandemic, it said messaging traffic was up 50 percent while voice and video calling had doubled, but added that it doesn’t make money on many of those services and that ad business had “weakened” in those regions.

So far, however, it’s not clear how badly the tech giants might be hit. Some of the early clues are expected this week when Google’s corporate parent, Alphabet, and Facebook report their first-quarter

financial results. But those results will only give a hint of the impact, given that the pandemic didn’t start to zap the global economy—and ad budgets—until late February. That’s one reason analysts polled by FactSet are still predicting a 13 percent increase in Alphabet’s revenue from the same time last year and a 16 percent revenue increase in revenue for Facebook.

The real test will come in the current April-June quarter, where analysts currently project roughly flat revenue for both companies. That could prove optimistic, though, given that airlines, hotels and other travel-related businesses typically spend heavily on marketing campaigns during the spring and summer.

With most travel frozen by the pandemic, Google and Facebook are likely to see huge sales declines unless the threat of Covid-19 subsides, said Edward Jones analyst David Heger.

The good news for Google and Facebook, is that digital ad spending can ramp back up as quickly as it declines, since it doesn’t require the upfront planning necessary with traditional media. That means companies might boost digital campaigns at the first sign of recovery, said Tony DiResta, a Washington, DC, attorney who helps small and large companies promote their brands.

Google, at least, has already been through this once as a public company. In the second quarter of 2009 during the Great Recession, its revenue growth slowed dramatically to just 3 percent, prompting it to reduce its work-force by about 400 employees during that year—the only time the company has pared its payroll in its 21-year history.

Since then, Alphabet have added nearly 100,000 employees in a relentless expansion built upon Google’s Android mobile-phone software and other products it continued to develop during the previous

downturn.

This recession may look quite different. Google, Facebook, and the overall digital market are far larger than they were back then and potentially less nimble.

The digital industry has posted double-digit annual growth for a decade and was on track to hit about $125 billion in 2019 revenue, based on information compiled by the Interactive Advertising Bureau, which hasn’t released final numbers for the year.

For 2020, Magna Research predicts that digital-ad sales growth will slow to 4 percent, but said revenues won’t shrink despite the tough times. Overall ad sales could fall by 3 percent, according to Magna, with an flurry of political spending this fall during the US presidential election expected to ease the recession’s blow. Some analysts believe the current downturn could leave the tech duopoly in an even stronger position once the global economy recovers.

Both Google and Facebook have enormous cash reserves—$120 billion for Alphabet, $55 billion for Facebook—they can use to acquire other potentially attractive services that can’t survive the recession on their own, often for cheap.

“Both Google and Facebook are in a good position,” said eMarketer analyst Nicole Perrin.

One sign of that buy-low strategy: Facebook last week invested $5.7 billion in India telecom giant Jio. The commitment underscored its resolve to expand into one of the world’s fastest growing internet markets. Meanwhile, social distancing and stayat-home orders appear to have overridden privacy concerns about the companies’ services, which sparked a backlash over the way they vacuum up vast amounts of personal information. Both companies reporting rising usage.

“It’s like moths being drawn to a flame,” Heger said.

“People can’t seem to resist them.” ■

INTERNET security company ESET, with its official distributor B1G2 Technologies, is giving away free antivirus as protection against online threats for the general public, particularly majority of the work force who now work from home.

This corporate social responsibility initiative of the company helps make the digital world more secure given that the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine is now ongoing as one of the mitigating measures to curve the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis.

Since cybercrimes are rampant everywhere, especially during difficult times when netizens are highly vulnerable, many individuals will be exposing their company and personal devices to greater risk as they leave the safety and security of the workplace to still perform their jobs at home.

“Work from home” is now the new normal. The situation, however, revealed a critical fact that many are still guilty of poor cybersecurity hygiene, and with the increase of cyberattacks, “thinking before clicking” will not be sufficient nor effective preventive measure.

With ESET, people working at home can securely do their online and offline activities to maintain productivity, while minimizing the risk of malware infection that can disrupt business operations.

To claim the free license, they just need to send a private message on ESET’s Facebook page to receive a three-month premium subscription of ESET Internet Security.

More information is available at facebook.com/esetph.

ECQ SEASON 3 AND CUTTING THE CORD: PART 2 CONTINUED FROM A11 Apple Airpods instead, then the Joyroom JR-T04S might be the better option for you.

The JR-T04S TWS was clearly inspired by the AirPods; even the charging case has a similar shape.

It is currently available in white as well as a special limited-edition matte black variant.

Compared to the JR-TL1, these earphones aren’t in-ear and have an open design with a flat stem. They fit quite comfortably but this shape isn’t for everyone and you might find yourself adjusting them from time to time to get a snug fit and a good seal.

Pairing the JR-T04S is also quite simple, you just have to take it out of the case and each side automatically pairs with the other. From there, you just need to select them from the list available Bluetooth devices on your music source.

The JR-T04S has multi-function buttons on either side for controls. On the right earphone, press and hold to play the next song, or press the left to go back to the previous track. A quick press on either side will play or pause the track. Press any button to answer or end calls, and double press either buttons to activate Siri or Google Assistant.

Battery life is average and can last up to three hours of continuous playback. You can use the charging case for 20 more hours of playback.

As for the sound quality, again these Joyroom earphones don’t disappoint and audio performance can even be compared to other earphones way above its price point. There’s good bass and average mids and crisp highs. Just don’t expect really good isolation because of its open design.

With surprisingly good sound quality, nice build, easy controls and a price that’s below P2K, the JR-T04S is a great choice for those who want AirPods-style earphones that’s right on the money. The Joyroom JRTL1 is priced at P1,690 at Digital Walker branches and their official Shopee Store. ■

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MEMBERS of the Vermont House of Representatives convene in a Zoom video conference for its first full parliamentary online session in Montpelier, Vermont. With people’s social lives moved indefinitely online, a bevy of tech companies want to unseat fast-rising Zoom from its perch, given security concerns and other issues with the video-calling service.

There’s Houseparty, Jitsy, along with offerings from Google and Microsoft. Now, Facebook is stepping into the fray, hoping that its massive user base will give it the needed edge to drown out the competition in this already crowded field. AP

Globe MyBusiness discusses e-learning opportunities amid Covid-19 ECQ

Lots of companies now want your video chats—even Facebook

BY BARBARA O�TUTAY The Associated Press

O

AKLAND, California—Amid the coronavirus pandemic, this has become an era of Zoom birthdays, virtual happy hours, FaceTime story times and Google yoga classes. Our friends, coworkers, teachers—and doctors, if we’re lucky—now largely exist as faces in rectangles on our phones and computer screens.

With people’s social lives moved indefinitely online, a bevy of big and small tech companies want to unseat fast-rising Zoom from its perch atop the heap, given security concerns and other issues with the video-calling service. There were already several smaller contenders for the throne, and now there’s a big one as well: Facebook.

Zoom, which boasts 300 million users, had the luck to be in the right place at the right time just as millions of employees around the world suddenly found themselves ordered to work from home. But the service has always been focused on business users, and it shows. Inviting people to video chats is cumbersome—for instance, Zoom generates an invitation more than 20 lines long that offers a bewildering number of ways to connect (H.323/ SIP protocol, anyone?). Its text-chat system is rudimentary and it gives people exactly two emojis for reacting to others in video—a wave and a thumbs-up.

Smaller services like Houseparty, which launched in 2016, think this gives them an opening. The app, owned by Fortnite maker Epic Games, lets up to eight people video chat together in virtual rooms, send video messages called “Facemail” and play games.

Houseparty said in late April that it had 50 million new sign-ups in the past month—a figure that’s around 70 times above normal in some areas.

Facebook’s WhatsApp, Apple’s FaceTime and similar Google apps offer group video chat as well, although FaceTime is limited to iPhones and other Apple devices. So do a variety of more businessfocused companies: Cisco with WebEx, Microsoft with Skype and Teams, and the smaller company 8x8 with its open-source service Jitsi.

Now Facebook aims to make a bigger splash in the field, although it will have to contend with privacy concerns and the question of whether it will ultimately show ads alongside video chat.

Called Messenger Rooms, the Facebook service announced Friday uses virtual rooms similar to those that exist for text chat within Messenger. These let you open the door so your friends can swing by unannounced, or schedule a dinner party for 8 pm on a Friday. People without Facebook accounts can be included, and the company says they won’t have to create accounts.

The tool will live on Facebook’s main app and on Messenger; it will eventually spread to WhatsApp, Instagram Direct and the company’s Portal video calling device as well.

“It’s really nice because during this period when we are all home, a lot of people you probably won’t call directly,” said Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, speaking to The Associated Press via a Messenger video call from his home in Palo Alto, California.

“There is not really another piece of software out today that would create that kind of spontaneous serendipity.”

Zuckerberg said Facebook had been working on the service before the pandemic forced people around the world to confine themselves in their homes. And he thinks the trend toward video communication will stay after it’s over, even if it is at an “unnatural peak” right now. The company is also expanding the number

of people who can join WhatsApp video calls from four to eight and adding a “virtual” option to its dating service.

“Certainly having everyone at home has shifted how we think about this,” Zuckerberg said.

While Facebook has enjoyed a bit of a resurgence in usage amid the pandemic, it is not yet clear if that will stick if and when people return to normal.

“Even though Zoom has had a hilarious assortment of security issues, Facebook strikes us as even less trustworthy,” said Carole Elaine Furr, an accountant in Richmond, Vermont, who is a frequent Zoom user.

Zoom’s meteoric rise has come with some growing pains. Hackers have invaded meeting rooms to make threats, interject racist, anti-gay or anti-Semitic messages, or show pornographic images, although the company has taken steps to prevent that. It also faced privacy concerns, such as an “attention tracking” feature that Zoom eventually removed earlier this month. Zoom was also sued in California for sharing user data with Facebook—another practice it now says it has stopped.

The Covid-19 pandemic has “rewritten the rules for interpersonal communication,” said Ian Greenblatt, managing director and head of the J.D. Power technology, media and telecom intelligence business.

For some companies, he said, this could mean a rare chance to build awareness and consumer loyalty. For others, the sudden influx of users—and new ways of using their tools—means new challenges.

Facebook says it will not listen into video calls or record what people show or tell. For this reason, should a virtual date veer X-rated, the company is unlikely to step in unless someone complains.

Facebook says it has no plans right now to show ads on video calls or use information from them to target users with ads. Of course, that could change. ■

Join Viber Communities for hard-to-find supplies during quarantine THERE’S no doubt shopping for essentials has been quite a challenge with the enhanced community quarantine still in full force. But this can’t be truer for those looking for some not-so-essential-yet-important supplies.

Now is even a more inconvenient time for appliances and gadgets to break down, or to run out of your baby’s body wash as not all grocery stores carry these specific items on their shelves. Thankfully, you don’t have to wait for the end of quarantine to find solutions, Viber Communities can help.

With the many restrictions in place, many sellers have turned to Viber and created innovative Communities to connect to their customers, offering important items that aren’t food or medicine.

Here are some Communities that can help you find specific needs and have them delivered straight to your doorstep: ■ HOME IMPROVEMENT AND ELECTRONIC NEEDS. To fix a leaky faucet or get new lightbulbs for your home, join the Hardware Construction Group and Non-Food Directory PH. Find replacements for a worn-out laptop or phone chargers

or even gadgets at Electronics and Gadgets and Complink ViberStore. Look for new appliances and furniture at Appliances and Computers PH and Furniture and Appliances.

■ SUPPLIES FOR MOMS AND KIDS. If you need supplies for your kids and yourself, you can join All Things Baby and Kids and Baby and Children Supplies. In these communities, moms can ask fellow moms and sellers where to find things like breast pumps, supplements to increase milk production, postnatal abdominal binders, sterilizers, gentle cleansers for kids, and toys to keep toddlers entertained at home. These Viber Communities can be a source of support and relief for all moms, but most especially to new ones who had to navigate motherhood during a pandemic.

■ MUST-HAVES FOR FUR BABIES. Any pet parent out there should join I Heart MyPet Market Place for all their pet needs. This Viber Community can help you find pet shops and vet clinics that are still open during the quarantine. You can also join the community to look for suppliers for certain brands of pet food, maintenance, and even medication so you can still give your most loyal companions the utmost care

they deserve.

■ GYM AND SPORTS GEAR. As gyms are temporarily closed, it might be harder for you to maintain to your fitness routine at home without the necessary equipment.

Join Gym and Sports Marketplace MM to purchase the gear you need so you can move, sweat, and stay healthy during quarantine.

As a true modern-day virtual marketplace, of course Viber also has Communities where you can purchase food items—from whole foods to fast food. Shop for fruits and veggies at Fruits and Vegetables Manila and Sikay Farms. Find baked foods at Cakes and Bread Marketplace and start a baking project with the help of Homebaking and Supplies NCR. To satisfy your fast-food cravings, make sure to join Take Out and Delivery at SM for a quick guide on which restos and shops at your nearest SM mall are open for takeout and delivery. Or find an assortment of food choices—from frozen goods like Vietnamese spring rolls to must-try treats like ube cheese pandesal at Frozen Contacts Community.

ABOUT 200 educators recently joined the E-Skwela webinar hosted by Globe myBusiness on how to migrate classes online as schools have been closed under the Covid-19 enhanced community quarantine protocols.

A robust discussion on the Philippines’s e-learning road map took place among a panel of experts that included Mark Arthur Payumo Abalos, education industry lead at Globe and Learning Technologies Scholar; Bro. Dennis Magbanua, FSC, community director at La Salle College, Hong Kong; Rogelio dela Cruz, head of the Center for Instruction, Research, and Curriculum-Education Technology Office at De La Salle College of Saint Benilde; Miguel Bermundo, head of the Citizenship and Advocacy Marketing Division at Globe; and Gerson Abesamis, executive director of Habi Education Lab and senior lecturer at University of the Philippines Diliman and Miriam College.

CHALLENGES IN DIGITAL ACCESS, SECURITY, FAMILIARITY

THE discussion focused on the aspects of online learning for students as a way to address the current challenges in the educational school system. It was also a forum for sharing best practices among the experts, along with ideas on how to build on e-learning as a complementary tool even during normal school operations.

Abesamis cited that while many teachers have already been reaching out to students and fellow faculty members with communities on Facebook Messenger, some have also started creating their own short learning videos. This has given opportunities for self-paced independent learning and critical thinking. However, there are still challenges that educational institutions face, including readiness among the faculty in conducting online classes, with Abalos mentioning connectivity as one of the problems facing teachers, along with what de la Cruz classifies as discomfort or even resistance from some members of the faculty with regard to conducting e-learning sessions.

Online safety for students is another concern brought up in the discussion, with Magbanua saying grade school students are usually accompanied by their parents when they go online. He added that there is a wealth of learning resources that can be found on the Internet, but these have to be carefully curated for data protection and security purposes.

EARLY ADOPTION MODELS AND NECESSITY OF A LOCAL ROAD MAP

AS for best practices, Magbanua talked about the Hong Kong model, where students have already become accustomed to e-classes even before the onset of Covid-19 which made the transition easier for them. This early adoption of digital learning was also accelerated by sociopolitical factors such as the city-wide protests that forced some educational institutions to close normal operations since late 2019.

In support of this, fellow panelist Abalos said the answer to the Philippine challenge is to onboard teachers as quickly as possible. He added the key to this is in laying down the necessary groundwork and a road map toward making online learning a complementary part of education even after the crisis has passed. Part of such a road map is the identification and familiarization of digital tools that are teacher-ready and child-friendly.

COMPLEMENTING LEARNING THROUGH NEW DIGITAL PLATFORMS

ONE of these digital tools is the recently launched Globe eLibrary, which gathers useful learning resources such as ebooks and educational videos in one web site. The aim is to offer a platform where teacher-ready and classroomfriendly materials can easily be accessed by anyone, especially K-12 students.

According to Bermundo, the library is a collection of free local and international titles under public domain, ranging from classic storybooks and novels curated for K-12 learners.

It is also home to local storybooks and learning materials authored by public-school teachers and members of the DepEd Bureau of Learning Resources.

“We are looking forward to populating it with more content with the help of our local and international partners,” Bermundo added.

The site, which was designed for easy navigation, can be accessed for free by students, teachers, and the general public at www.globeelibrary.ph so that learning can continue even as they stay #SafeAtHome.

More updates on upcoming Globe e-learning webinars and information on Globe eLibrary is available at www.globe. com.ph.

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Saturday, May 2, 2020 A11

SAMSUNG 321 APP NOW COMES WITH COVID-19 HOTLINES

ECQ Season 3 and cutting the cord: Part 2 P

REVIOUSLY on ECQ PH Season 1: At first it was all about alcohol-hunting and panicbuying as many people battled anxiety attacks and the fears of being isolated.

Celebrities and influencers who keep running their mouths off were bashed and given the new title “Covid-iots” for their thoughtless and insensitive comments, thinking that their number of followers were enough to make them right.

Oh, and who could forget that senator who went hospital touring, the search for the missing mayors, and that one who got bit by a dog while doing nothing.

Then in the latter half, it was a waiting game for government announcements. 11 pm became the new 6 pm and everybody wanted to know whether the ECQ was going to be extended.

Of course the more urgent question on everyone’s mind was: “Where can I buy some milk tea?”

In Season 2, we got to know more about our cast of characters. We have the heroes: frontliners (medical workers, delivery guys, bank staff, grocery staff, police and military) who risk their health everyday; and organizations (companies and brands) who continue to keep the donations and PPE’s coming.

Then, there were the TikTokers—savage (yeah) classy, bougie, ratchet (yeah) sassy, moody, nasty, who, well, basically can either make or ruin your day with their videos despite their usual alibi “walang ganun Mars.”

As for the villains, we have the menacing pasaways, people who sold fake quarantine passes, those who would go out for no reason (except that it was too hot inside), and bring all their 25 kids just to buy snacks— social distancing be damned.

And just like that, we are now in ECQ PH Season 3.

Already season 3 is shaping up to be the most action-packed yet as the police seems to be going head-to-head with the pasaways.

Will it be renewed for a fourth, fifth, or even sixth season? Do we even have a chance to “flatten curve?”

Or will it be Jose Mari Chan season with his LSScarols again by the time we’re allowed to go out?

I hope not.

There is one song, however, that’s been giving me LSS the past few days since it was rereleased— “Salamat” by Jett Pangan. I was in high school when I first heard the song, and it has become an anthem for TVCs, and a favorite at reunions and tribute shows.

This time, it’s Smart Communication’s turn to revive

the song for a special heartwarming video reflecting meaningful connections in the time of Covid-19.

For this version, The Dawn’s frontman traded the original rock arrangement of the song for a subdued yet moving version. The video talks about simple connections that truly matter. This part of technology has been available to us even before ECQ time but we tend to appreciate it more now as we rely more on the Internet to reach out to our loved ones and friends.

Coinciding with the launch of the video, the PLDT-Smart Foundation and Smart introduced a Text-to-Donate drive for Covid-19 frontliners that enables Smart, TNT, and Sun customers to contribute using their prepaid load, or donations charged to their postpaid account.

To donate, subscribers simply have to text DONATE<Space><Amount> and send to 3456.

Subscribers may donate in the amounts of 10, 25, 50, 100 or 500. The donation drive will run from April 22 to July 16.

TWS EARPHONES REVIEW: MOMAX PILLS BT1

MOMAX stands for “Mobile” and “Max” and the brand has been known for producing a wide range of creative and user-friendly mobile accessories that follows its “Chic Intelligence” principle. Designed to be fashionable and functional, their products often come in various colors. The Momax Pills, for example, is available not just in the standard black and white but also come in orange (coral red) and Lake Blue.

The Momax Pills BT1 feature a stemless compact design similar to the Samsung Galaxy Buds and comes in a capsule-shaped case, with the Momax branding on top and a USB-C port at the back. There are two small translucent windows on the cover that shows the charging status of the earbuds.

The Pills BT1 is not only one of the smallest but also lightest TWS earbuds in the market, weighing only 8 grams per earbud. Out of the box, the standard earbuds fits quite comfortably even during prolonged use and also comes with an extra set of ear tips should you prefer a different fit. The Pills BT1 is also sweatproof so you can use it for running or during your workouts.

The Pills BT1 has physical buttons instead touch controls. Quickly press on either earbud to pause music, answer or end calls. A long press on the right earbud will skip to the next track while a long press on the left earbud will play the previous track. Press either button twice to activate Google Assistant.

The Pills BT1 doesn’t have those optical wear sensors that automatically pauses your music once you take them off your ear, so you will need to manually pause your music using the buttons before taking them off.

The Pills BT1 might be small in size but not on battery life as it promises up to five hours of continuous play and up to 18 hours using the carrying case. As for the sound quality, the Momax Pills BT1 delivers on its promised HiFi premium sound. It

sounds great when listening to a variety of music genre—just make sure not to maximize the volume when listening to bass-heavy tracks as sound quality does get a bit muddy and distorted.

Final word: the Momax Pills BT1 is very light and comfortable to wear. It has an impressive battery life, and general sound quality is very good. The physical controls are simple and responsive, and way better than the touch controls of other earbuds. It might not have optical sensors, but for its less than P3,000 price tag you are getting a lot of value for your money.

JAGGED LITTLE TWS PILLS

BEFORE I got the Jabra Elite 75t, I was switching between a couple of Joyroom’s TWS earbuds, the JR-TL1 and JR-T04S. Both priced below P2,000, these Joyroom earbuds are for those who want to try out TWS earphones without spending a lot of money. But which one should you get?

The JR-TL1 is shaped like the Momax Pills BT1 and Jabra Elite 75t which means that it doesn’t have that protruding “stem,” like the Airpods.

It comes in pill case-shaped charging case, and includes a wrist strap and two extra ear tips. The lid is held in place by magnets so it doesn’t accidentally fall out easily. The shape of the earbuds itself is a bit triangular with rounded corners. You’ll notice four white LEDs that function as battery indicators.

The installed in-ear tips fit me quite nicely but you should try out the other extra tips to find out which ones will keep them snug in place when you are running or doing your workouts. It’s IPX7 certified which means its sweatproof and waterproof even during a light downpour. I still wouldn’t submerge it in water though.

As for battery life, it’s advertised to last up to six hours of play time and you can charge it up to three times using the 300mAh case.

Pairing is easy, as the JR-TL1 buds pair automatically once taken out of its case. You’ll hear a sound and the LED lights on the buds will light up.

Once paired with a device, subsequent pairings are automatic and take only five seconds after taking them out of the case. Almost the entire outer surface are of the earbuds are touch-sensitive and you control them by taps. Tap either earbud once to play or pause music; double tap on the right to skip to next track and double tap the left earbud to play the previous song.

To answer or end calls tap either bud for one second. Tap and hold for two seconds to reject incoming calls. To activate Google Assistant or Siri, tap either bud three times. It works well, but I still prefer physical button controls.

Sound quality is actually good considering its price, and you won’t have any complaints when listening to various music genres. The Joyroom JR-TL1 is capable of producing punchy lows and bass, and the mids and highs are just okay.

For those who want something that resemble the

CONTINUED ON A9

SAMSUNG 321 app’s newest update now includes Covid-19 hotline numbers to aid users for any concerns and emergencies related to the global pandemic.

A dedicated Covid-19 emergency button now displays the DOH and Red Cross’ Covid-19 hotlines. Contacts for DOH, PNP and the Philippine Red Cross have been updated as well.

Launched in 2016, the app enables quick access to a current list of over 900 validated emergency contact numbers and locations all organized into categories, such as medical assistance, Red Cross, police stations, fire stations, national disaster hotlines, and motor and traffic assistance. The phone numbers are displayed according to the user’s location for convenience.

Calling the available numbers is made easy through the app’s straightforward user interface. Simply select the number to be called and the app will proceed with making the call directly. Standard mobile carrier rates for calls apply.

Samsung 321’s services must first be enabled through its in-app Welcome page or Settings. This can also be done through the Apps tab in Settings of the user’s Samsung device.

The app comes preinstalled on select Samsung mobile devices and can also be downloaded on the Google Play Store for devices running on Android 5.0 and up.

CANON UNVEILS NEW FEATURES OF EOS R5

CANON recently revealed new features and functions of the highly anticipated Canon EOS R5, engineered with the revolutionary RF mount and fitted with Canon’s latest technologies. The EOS R5 is the first of the next-generation full-frame mirrorless cameras in the EOS R System.

The Canon EOS R5 comes with groundbreaking specifications in the video department. The compact body houses the ability to shoot 8K videos internally at up to 30fps with full sensor width read out (without crop). This allows flexibility in post-processing or editing because of access to four times the resolution of 4K, allowing crop in or pan within the frame and still deliver in 4K or FHD output. The camera also has the impressive ability to shooting 4K at up to 120fps, both internally and externally. For recordings in both 8K and 4K, 10-bit YCbCr 4:2:2 internal recording with Canon Log is supported.

With the RAW movie feature first made available on the EOS-1D X Mark III in late 2019, the EOS R5 raises the bar further to include internal 8K RAW movie recording up to 30fps with full sensor width read out. Moreover, the Dual Pixel CMOS AF will be available in every video resolution available in the EOS R5—including the RAW movie mode.

The EOS R5 also comes with an improved AF algorithm, capable of detecting the body, face and eyes of animal subjects such as dogs, cats and even birds. The Animal Detection AF in the EOS R5 is capable of detecting erratic movements, enabling users to shoot a variety of fast-moving subjects with greater ease.

Along with this, the EOS R5 will also feature a 5-axis in-body image stabilization system (IBIS) which works in tandem with the Image Stabilization in Canon lenses to effectively reduce camera-shake blur. Users can now master challenging handheld shots when using telephoto lenses or shooting in dimly-lit conditions.

All these impressive functions are packed into a compact body, which is designed with a two-card slot for CFexpress card and SD memory card.

The ultrahigh transfer speeds of the CFexpress card is one of the key reasons for the camera’s ability to perform continuous shooting up to 20fps and internal recordings of 8K RAW movies.

With the addition of the EOS R5 to its lineup, Canon will continue to strengthen its EOS R System and provide its users with an imaging system that delivers higher image quality and greater easeof-use.

A12

BRAZILian PREsident WANTS SOCCER TO RETURN

Saturday, May 2, 2020

Sports BusinessMirror

Editor: Jun Lomibao | mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph

KABADDI, ANYONE?

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro argues that players are less likely to die from Covid-19 because of their physical fitness. AP

S

ãO PAULO—Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro wants to see soccer competitions start back up again soon despite the country’s high number of coronavirus cases, arguing Thursday that players are less likely to die from Covid-19 because of their physical fitness.

Bolsonaro is one of the few world leaders that still downplays the risks brought by the coronavirus, which he has likened to “a little flu.”

Most soccer tournaments in Brazil were suspended on March 15. The Brazilian championship was scheduled to begin in May, but that looks unlikely as the country has become Latin America’s coronavirus epicenter with more than 5,900 deaths.

Doctors say the peak of the pandemic is expected to hit within two weeks.

“There is a lot of people in soccer that are favorable to a return because unemployment is knocking on clubs’ doors too,” Bolsonaro said in an interview with Radio Guaiba. “Footballers, if infected with the virus, have a small chance of dying. That’s because of their physical state, because they are athletes.”

Brazil’s president said his new health minister will issue a suggestion that games return without any fans in the stadiums, but he acknowledged many players might be reluctant.

“The decision to restart soccer is not mine, but we can help,” Bolsonaro said, adding he has spoken with Gremio Coach Renato Portaluppi about the issue and was told that players are still worried about the virus.

Neighboring Argentina has already canceled

the rest of the 2019-2020 season because of the pandemic. France also decided to end the season, declaring Paris Saint-Germain as league champion on Thursday.

Brazil’s soccer confederation said in a statement on Tuesday that competitions should return “whenever it is possible, with safety and health care assurances for all those involved.”

Earlier Thursday, the sports body sent Bolsonaro’s health ministry suggestions of the steps that need to be taken before a restart, but it did not reveal details.

A director at São Paulo FC, 1994 World Cup winner Raí, said his club is against resuming play during the pandemic. He also called for Bolsonaro’s resignation because of his “irresponsible” management of the crisis.

“We want to return in the proper time, in accord with recommendations, and gradually,” Raí told GloboEsporte.

In Lisbon, Portugal’s government says the country’s soccer league will be allowed to resume on May 30 following a stoppage forced by the coronavirus pandemic.

Prime Minister António Costa included the announcement in a recent presentation of his government’s plan to roll back lockdown measures.

Costa said the resumption still depends on health authorities approving measures to make stadiums meet hygiene conditions.

The games will be played without fans.

Porto leads Benfica by one point at the top of the standings. AP

In a virus-shortened season, no one loses a PGA Tour card

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SHORTER season brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic means no one will lose a Professional Golfers Association (PGA) Tour card this year and the Korn Ferry Tour players will have to wait a year before fully joining the big leagues.

A memo sent to players Thursday to outline the changes was another step in the tour trying to figure out what’s equitable in a season that will be without 13 previously scheduled events.

The tour said players exempt for this season will keep the same status for the 2020-21 season that is scheduled to start in September unless they earn a higher ranking after this shortened season.

That could help someone like Harris English, who started the season with conditional status from finishing between Nos. 126 and 150 the previous season. He has posted five top 10s and is No. 24 in the FedEx Cup, making his a lock to have a full card for next season.

As for the developmental Korn Ferry Tour, no one will graduate to the PGA Tour after the season. The tour was working on rewarding the top 10 players, such as allowing them in opposite-field field events for next season.

All of this is contingent on golf resuming June 11 to 14 at Colonial, the restart of a season that would include only one major championship. The PGA Championship is tentatively set for August 9 to 12 in San Francisco. The US Open was pushed back to September,

the Masters was moved to November and the British Open was canceled.

That means six majors will be played next season.

This season still offers a $15-million prize to the winner of the FedEx Cup. The two playoff events outside Boston and Chicago would award triple points instead of quadruple points.

In other changes: n The field for the Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua will include everyone who wins a PGA Tour event in 2020, along with players who reach the Tour Championship. That means whoever finished in the top 30 in the FedEx Cup gets into at least three majors in 2021, along with a trip to Maui. n The tournament in the Dominican Republic originally was canceled and then moved to September, the same week as the Ryder Cup. Because it is not opposite a World Golf Championship, the winner will receive full FedEx Cup points and a trip to the 2021 Masters. n For the rest of this season, Monday qualifiers that can be held will only provide two spots instead of four. AP

KABADDI is a full-contact sport in which “raiders” attempt to tag one or more members of the opposing team without exhaling a breath.

I

NDIAN Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju hopes the promotion of kabaddi at the Asian Games will boost the sport’s chances of being included at the Olympic Games in the future.

Kabaddi has been a full Asian Games sport since the 1990 edition in Beijing, with the women’s event introduced in 2010. Kabaddi is a full-contact sport in which “raiders” attempt to tag one or more members of the opposing team without exhaling a breath.

India has been dominant in the seven-a-side competition at the Asian Games, winning the first seven gold medals in the men’s event since the sport was introduced, along with two women’s titles. Iran ended India’s run of success by securing double gold at Jakarta Palembang 2018.

Rijiju, speaking on an online coaches

knowledge enhancement session organized by the Sports Authority of India, expressed hope the sport can continue to develop and be included on the Olympic program.

“Kabaddi has already been included in the Asian Games and now, not just India, but all Asian countries must come together to ensure that the sport is included in the Olympics as well,” Rijiju said. “That is our ultimate goal. And to achieve that goal we must improve the standard of the game in India and also ensure that we propagate it across geographical locations in India and the rest of the world.”

The online coaching session reportedly included 700 kabaddi coaches from the region, including India, Malaysia and South Korea.

Organizers hope the sessions help to enhance coaches knowledge of the sport, which

will enhance the development of kabaddi in the region long term. The online sessions are being held during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games organizers, meanwhile, announced there will be an Equine Disease Free Zone (EDFZ) to prevent the spread of infections during the competition.

In accordance with laws and regulations, including the Animal Epidemic Prevention Law of the People’s Republic of China, measures will be taken in a “disease-free zone” which will cover the administrative region of Tonglu County to the north of Fuchun River.

There will also be a protected zone to the south of the river, with a biosafety channel covering the airport expressway from Hangzhou International Airport to the equestrian venue for the Games.

The purpose of creating an EDFZ, according

UFC champ Miocic welcomes octagon’s return with concerns

C

LEVELAND—Heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic welcomes UFC’s plans to reopen the octagon. The fighter—and firefighter— does have some concerns, though.

After scrapping an idea to hold fights on tribal land in California and canceling or postponing several events since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, UFC will return to competition May 9 in Jacksonville, Florida.

UFC President Dana White recently announced UFC 249 will be held without fans at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. Two additional fight cards are scheduled for May 13 and May 16 at the venue.

Miocic said his only reservation about the sport’s reopening is related to health reasons.

“As long as everyone is safe, I hope it works out,” said Miocic, who has continued to work as a firefighter and paramedic during the outbreak. “And not just the fighters, I worry about everyone’s safety. It takes one person to [infect] three people, and how fast it can spread, it’s crazy.”

STIPE MIOCIC’S reservation about the sport’s reopening is related to health reasons. AP

STAR striker Kylian Mbappé posts photos on Twitter of himself raising the league trophy on two previous occasions. AP

P

ARIS—Paris Saint-Germain’s latest French league title came without the usual celebrations and fanfare.

Instead, there was just a formal ruling from league executives that provided another example of how the coronavirus has upended sports across the world.

PSG was officially crowned Ligue 1 champion on Thursday—two days after the government ruled that the league had to be canceled because of the pandemic.

“We have [acknowledged] the end of the 2019-20 season and we have awarded the league title to PSG,”

to the World Organization for Animal Health (OiE), is to protect horses and other animals from diseases that may occur in other parts of a country.

EDFZ’s are created in countries that are hosting an international equine sport event, where the control and eradication of all equine diseases is not feasible or achievable.

The OiE says an EFDZ can be achieved by the “implementation of sound biosecurity management, certification standards and procedures, contingency planning and the identification of all horses resident in the EDFZ and the capacity to trace their movement.”

The zone has been designed to protect horses, but can also safeguard donkeys and mules, plus pigs, cattle and goats.

Insidethegames

PSG champ as French league season ends league President Nathalie Boy de la Tour said.

Handing the title to PSG was basically a formality, with the team 12 points ahead of second-place Marseille with 10 rounds of matches left to play.

But other teams objected to the decision to finalize the league standings based on a pointsper-game formula, with Lyon threatening to take legal action after missing a chance to qualify for the lucrative Champions League.

It was PSG’s seventh title in the last eight years—and ninth overall—although this one certainly had a different flavor to it.

Instead of the normal on-field celebrations,

there was just muted reaction on social media.

In a statement, PSG President Nasser Al-Khelaifi dedicated the title to the “healthcare staff and to all the everyday heroes on the frontline whose commitment and self-sacrifice over many weeks have earned our deepest admiration.”

“We understand, respect and support the decisions taken by the French government to end the championship,” Al-Khelaifi said. “Health, as the government has always said, must be everyone’s priority.”

Star striker Kylian Mbappé posted photos on Twitter of himself raising the league trophy on two

previous occasions, but there was no immediate public reaction from Brazil forward Neymar.

Any celebrations with fans, such as the traditional open bus parade, will have to wait until social distancing is over.

Marseille qualified directly for the Champions League while third-place Rennes will enter the qualifying rounds and fourth-place Lille goes into the Europa League.

At the bottom of the standings, last-place Toulouse and 19th-place Amiens were relegated while second-division leader Lorient and secondplace Lens were promoted. The relegationpromotion playoff between the team in 18th

Miocic recaptured his title belt in August by pummeling Daniel Cormier at UFC 241. On Thursday, the affable 37-year-old said his recovery following surgery to repair a torn retina continues to go well—“I have some spots, but definitely I can see”—and that he misses his training routine while awaiting a return to normalcy.

Until then, Miocic has been working shifts for the Valley View (Ohio) Fire Department. Personal safety is always a priority in his “other” job, and Miocic said he and his coworkers have remained vigilant during these unprecedented times.

“I have a job to do, and when I go to the station I make sure I stay clean,” he said on the phone from his home in North Royalton, Ohio, “We’re smart. We’re clean. We’re masked. We wear goggles, gloves and gowns when he have to. It’s our routine, so I’m not really worried about that.”

Miocic has teamed with Modelo beer to raise funds for personal protection equipment for first responders during the pandemic. On May 5, the brewer has pledged to donate $1 (up to $500,000) for any social-media post using the hashtag #CincUp. AP place in the first division and the team in third in the second division was scrapped.

“We gave our leagues every chance to start again in mid-June,” Boy de la Tour said in a conference call with reporters. “It brings an end to the uncertainty.”

The Dutch league has also canceled the rest of its season, but without any team being crowned champion or relegated. UEFA had initially warned leagues that canceling their seasons prematurely could lead to teams being denied entry into the Champions League or Europa League, but has since softened its stance.

Both the French and Dutch leagues were left with no choice after their governments banned sports events until September. Other leagues, including in Spain, Germany and England, still hope to resume play. AP